Parents sue group for son's alcohol poisoning

• Source: Global Times
• [08:27 September 01 2010]
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Young people drink at a bar during a party in the city. Photo: Global Times

The parents of a teenage son, who died from alcohol poisoning in May, have sued five people for the tragedy, asking them to pay 150,000 yuan ($22,065) to compensate their loss.

According to the Putuo District People's Court, the parents of Wang Jun, who was found dead at a restaurant the morning after consuming a large amount of alcohol, have filed the case against two of his friends present at the dinner as well as three restaurant staff: two waiters and a chef.

"My son died because those present at the dinner forced him to drink a lot, and the restaurant staff weren't responsible in taking care of their customer," Wang's mother Jiang Ling told the Oriental Morning Post Tuesday. She said that her son downed too much baijiu, or Chinese liquor.

Authorities said that the blood-alcohol level found in Wang's body was more than five times that of the legally defined drunk drivers.

"But my son barely drank … without all that pressure from others, he never would have had so much," said the mother.

The mother said that his son was attending a birthday party of his girlfriend, Wang Yuan. However, Wang, the alleged girlfriend, said that Wang, the son, was never invited to the dinner, and that she barely knew him. She added that she and her group only ordered six bottles of beer that night, not enough to cause the high blood-alcohol levels found in Wang.

The restaurant staff said that they offered five times to send drunken Wang home, but he refused, which is why they left him lying on a sofa.

Global Times