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We spent €50 million a week on alcohol in 2013 - and 75% of that was binge drinking

Alcohol Action Ireland says that “we can no longer afford to accept our harmful relationship with alcohol as the norm”.
We can no longer afford to accept our harmful relationship with alcohol as the norm.

IRELAND SPENT €50 million a week, lost 3,230 work and study days in a year and binged most of the time last year.

The latest figures from the Health Research Board also show that 15% of 18-24 are classed as alcohol dependent.

File Photo PUBS, CLUBS AND off licenses will be closed for the entire day today. Despite the reduced access to alcoholic beverages, many people turn Good Friday into a reason to party. Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

The report also found that:

  • 75% of all alcohol consumed was done so as part of a binge drinking session
  • One in five (21.1%) drinkers engaged in binge drinking at least once a week
  • Almost two thirds (64.3%) of 18-24 year olds consumed six or more standard drinks on a typical drinking session in the last year
  • More than half (54%) of 18-75 year old drinkers were classified as harmful drinkers which equates to 1.35 million harmful drinkers in Ireland
  • One in eight (13%) men and almost one in ten (9%) women drank their recommended weekly guidelines in one sitting
  • Among 18-24 year-olds, 28% of men and 22% of women consume weekly guidelines in one sitting
  • We spent more than €50.6 million was spent on alcohol in the week prior to the study
  • 3,230 work-or-study years were lost through alcohol related illness in the year prior to the study
  • 43% of standard drinks are consumed at home, 42% in a pub/nightclub and 10% in restaurant or hotel
  • 64% of men and 51% of women started drinking before the legal age of 18
  • Monthly binge drinking most common among 18-24 year old age group (at 60%)
  • Harmful drinking is highest among 18-24 year old age group (at 75%).
  • Dependent drinking is highest among 18-24 year old age group (at 15%).

The report added that of the 6,000 people surveyed, 21% had not drank in the last year.

Young People Drinking Alcohol Laura Hutton / Photocall Ireland Laura Hutton / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

The authors of the report say that the figures underline the “harmful nature of drinking in Ireland.

“This is the first time we have had such robust, detailed evidence on Irish people’s drinking habits. What is clear is we need to alter people’s perceptions of their drinking. The report shows people who defined themselves as ‘light or moderate drinkers’ actually drank six or more standard drinks in a typical drinking occasion, which is binge drinking’, says Dr Jean Long, Head of the Evidence Centre at the Health Research Board and co-author of the report.

Alcohol Action Ireland, an alcohol awareness charity said that the normalisation of binge drinking was a problem.

“[The survey] shows is the extent to which this situation – and the huge harms that our society suffers as a result – has become normalised,” said Suzanne Costello, CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland.

“One in five people who defined themselves as ‘light drinkers who do not binge drink’ and half of those who defined themselves ‘moderate drinkers who do not binge drink’ were actually binge drinking on a typical drinking occasion.”

Read: Irish alcohol prices are the highest in Europe

Opinion: The first step to fixing Ireland’s alcohol problem? Fight back against the drinks industry

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84 Comments
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    Mute Cowboy Ted
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    Nov 29th 2021, 9:46 PM

    Good luck with that France, you get better behaviour out my 4 year old…
    Priti probably thinks a another hundred year war would be good, she thought of trying to starve the Irish…

    235
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    Mute Thomas O' Donnell
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    Nov 29th 2021, 11:21 PM

    @Cowboy Ted: French are no angels when it comes to colonial history and who caused these regional instabilities in the first place.

    86
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    Mute Sean Higgins
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    Nov 29th 2021, 11:29 PM

    @Thomas O’ Donnell: maybe not but they had our back during the Brexit talks……

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    Mute Will
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    Nov 30th 2021, 2:46 PM

    @Sean Higgins: “they had our back during the Brexit talks……”

    Only because they love sticking it to the Brits.

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Nov 30th 2021, 5:10 PM

    @Will: Read a history book ffs. The French have been our allies for centuries. A lot of people duped into the anti French stuff by a steady diet of British media.

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    Mute Nedwerd
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    Nov 29th 2021, 10:32 PM

    The Brits are right. A turnback policy would stop them overnight

    104
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    Mute 2thFairy
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    Nov 29th 2021, 10:38 PM

    @Nedwerd: it’s been a long time since the British were right.

    115
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    Mute Niall Ó Cofaigh
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    Nov 30th 2021, 3:59 AM

    @Nedwerd: but it should be deport (return) to their home nation and not a transit country. If these people are in the EU illegally (or legally) it is immaterial, normal deportatiom rules is back to country of origin. Same here if you need a visa to enter Ireland but come across the border from NI you get deported to your home country, not back to NI. Likewise if people need a visa to enter the UK and cross into NI they are not deported back south but sent to their home country. If Ireland were used as a back door to the UK would you think everyone entering the UK illegally should be sent back here.

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    Mute Steve O'Hara-Smith
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    Nov 30th 2021, 6:35 AM

    @Nedwerd: Sure force them to make two hideously dangerous crossings in dingys that’ll cut the numbers down.
    The people who take their money tell them the UK is where they need to be and put them in throw away boats are the problem.
    Where do the traffickers find their victims and sell them passage ? That’s where this has to be stopped at the start not the end.
    A decent internationally organised refugee rescue group should be set up to compete with the traffickers. Undercut the crooks and provide good transport and honest advice to the victims – just don’t look like the authorities they fear, look like a better deal and be one.
    The criminals are making a huge profit doing a bad job, surely governments can manage a good job at a small loss. It would be a lot cheaper than this mess.

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    Mute Lamb
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    Nov 30th 2021, 7:31 AM

    @Steve O’Hara-Smith: There are charities in North of France trying to help these people but are harassed and intimidated by French police and gangs

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    Mute Steve O'Hara-Smith
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    Nov 30th 2021, 8:05 AM

    @Lamb: They’re in the wrong place. Everyone seems to be working (mostly at cross purposes and badly) on the symptoms instead of the problem. Like sticking plasters on someone rolling in broken glass without stopping them.
    There is way too much finger pointing and way to little cooperation and joined up thinking going on.
    France is just a conduit it’s not.surprising they don’t like it but arguing about what to do with the spurting hose doesn’t turn off the tap and that’s what’s needed.

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    Mute barry moore
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    Nov 30th 2021, 10:37 AM

    @Niall Ó Cofaigh: deportation to home nation is a hard one. How would they prove what country they are originally from they carry no passport

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    Mute Colm Molloy
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    Nov 30th 2021, 1:00 PM

    @Niall Ó Cofaigh: Careful lad, you might get accused of talking sense

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    Mute 2thFairy
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    Nov 29th 2021, 9:52 PM

    They took back their own borders so let them look after them. I’m sick and tired of their antics of abusing the good will, political intelligence and diplomatic procedures that the EU respect. Time to let their Brexit hit them and hit them hard.

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    Mute Robert Preston
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    Nov 29th 2021, 10:57 PM

    @2thFairy: Ha the goodwill of the French . No such thing France does what it wants when it wants . Funny how they impound a Scottish trawler but stand by when the migrants are launching their rubber dingy

    102
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    Mute Lamb
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    Nov 30th 2021, 7:33 AM

    @2thFairy: Channel crossings went from about 1200 people in 2019 to 25000 in 2021. Go Brexit!!

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    Mute Steve O'Hara-Smith
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    Nov 30th 2021, 10:09 AM

    @Lamb: They also went from dingys to 50 person zodiacs. That takes professional organisation.
    I’d like to know if the trips sold to the refugees are end to end or just across the channel. If it’s the former then the channel crissing is the wrong place to look for fixes.

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    Mute Mike Dunne
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    Nov 30th 2021, 3:05 AM

    This is what Boris meant by taking back control, lol.

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    Mute Handsome McWonderful
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    Nov 30th 2021, 9:16 AM

    Angleterre Perfide

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    Mute Steve O'Hara-Smith
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    Nov 30th 2021, 10:02 AM

    @Handsome McWonderful: All countries lie it’s called diplomacy and it stinks.

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    Mute Michael Mcgregor
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    Dec 1st 2021, 11:11 AM

    I don’t understand why France feel the need to support or take any responsibility to help the UK with their immigration problem. Britain’s immigration issue is France’s relief valve.
    Britain is an outlier of Europe. They voted for Brexit so they could enforce their own immigration rules. The EU has its own immigration problem so why take on Britain’s problems too ?

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