Sean O’Neill Jr. is an individual who has serious substance abuse issues with alcohol, and this problem has caused him a number of legal problems as well as costing his best friend his life. This is not the first brush with the law that alcohol has caused O’Neill. When he was a teenage boy Sean killed his best friend as a result of a drunken act while playing around, and as a 23 year old man he apparently still has an addiction to alcohol that continues to cause legal problems. The latest arrest was the result of a single vehicle accident caused by driving under the influence, and Sean O’Neill hit a home as a result. Science has shown that substance abuse can be genetic as well as environmental and this seems to be the case with Sean O’Neill.
The entire O’Neill family struggles with alcohol addiction and substance abuse. Sean O’Neill’s sister Roisin O’Neill is currently in prison due to drunk driving that resulted in a homicide. His father was deported back to Northern Ireland after being charged with federal gun crimes. Just because Sean O’Neill has Irish heritage does not make his alcohol abuse acceptable. If killing Scott Sheridan as a teenager due to alcohol intoxication, a boy who was his best friend, did not cause Sean to stay away from alcohol then it is unlikely the latest charges will achieve this goal. Maybe the DUI charge will force this young man to get the substance abuse treatment that he so clearly needs. Alcohol addiction can be devastating, and in this case one family lost a son permanently and Sean O’Neill is spiraling towards self destruction.
