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Women warned of dangers of 'bottomless Prosecco brunches'

Alcohol Action Ireland is calling on women to examine their drinking habits.

ALCOHOL ACTION IRELAND has called for Irish women to examine their drinking habits.

AAI said women are now drinking more alcohol, and more often, than previous generations. The organisation said this is leading to an increase in the number of young women presenting with serious alcohol-related conditions, such as liver cirrhosis, and a higher rate of alcohol-related cancers.

Catherine Keane, AAI’s head of policy and public affairs, said the organisation is using International Women’s Day to encourage women to be “fully informed when it comes to decisions around their alcohol consumption”.

Keane said women in Ireland are “constantly exposed to targeted alcohol marketing” from a young age.

While women are being bombarded with messages about how wonderful wine is or are being invited to take part in events like a ‘Bottomless Prosecco Brunch’, there is no mention of the other, very real side of alcohol consumption for female drinkers.

Keane said over-consumption of alcohol can have negative effects on both physical and mental health.

She stated that one in eight breast cancer cases in Ireland are associated with alcohol consumption, adding that the proportion of alcohol-related deaths from cancer among Irish women, at 37%, is higher than the European average of 31%.

Alcohol is widely promoted to women as a way to relax and de-stress, or a reward at the end of a long day, and, along with this, there is a widespread misconception that wine is somehow better for you than other types of alcohol, therefore making it appear more acceptable or even safe.

“Most importantly, alcohol can make it harder to cope with day-to-day stresses and it is particularly important not to turn to alcohol to help you cope. While you may feel some temporary relief, alcohol is a depressant and your mood drops quickly afterwards, ultimately making matters worse.”

The HSE lists the low-risk weekly alcohol guidelines for adults as:

  • Up to 11 standard drinks in a week for women;
  • Up to 17 standard drinks in a week for men.

Wine and spirits 

The Health Research Board’s national alcohol diary found that almost one in ten women who completed the survey consumed more than the recommended weekly guidelines in a single day. This measure was highest in the 18 to 24 years age group, with one-in-five (22.5%) young women drinking more than the weekly guidelines in a single day.

Wine is the most common type of alcohol consumed by women aged over 25 years (58.9%), and spirits are the most common type of alcohol consumed by women aged 18 to 24 years (59.9%).

Keane called on newly-elected TDs to prioritise the implementation of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill, which was approved by the government last December.

The bill aims to reduce alcohol consumption in Ireland to 9.1 litres per person per year by 2020, and to reduce the harms associated with alcohol.

Read: Here’s why you’ll see these women on buses all over Ireland

Read: Enda admits he won’t be re-elected Taoiseach on Thursday

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39 Comments
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    Mute Val Rossi
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    Mar 8th 2016, 6:07 AM

    My wife actually thinks ‘Wineoclock’ is an actual time.

    183
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    Mute Sean Newberry
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    Mar 8th 2016, 1:58 PM

    Sickener she must be an idiot so

    11
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    Mute Declan Hickey
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    Mar 8th 2016, 6:44 AM

    Sure women have nothing better to do than drink wine. I mean not only do woman work they look after the home, kids (bigger kid called the husband), pets and countless other things I will never comprehend. The author of this report could do with a bottle of wine.

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    Mute Anton Friendo
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    Mar 8th 2016, 11:29 AM

    Living the dream eh

    2
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    Mute Michael Kavanagh
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    Mar 8th 2016, 6:07 AM

    I prefer the topless brunches meself!

    165
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    Mute David Hughes
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    Mar 8th 2016, 6:12 AM

    Stop wine-ing

    143
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    Mute Martin Ryan
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    Mar 8th 2016, 8:28 AM

    Have a couple of joints instead

    46
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    Mute Liam Doran
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    Mar 8th 2016, 6:18 AM

    Careful now girls, basically ease up on the wine will ya and go do some house work

    109
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    Mute Aoife Conway
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    Mar 8th 2016, 6:34 AM

    How about letting a woman make up her own mind as to how much prosecco she wants to drink…

    They’d lose their minds if they saw the all you can eat/drink brunches in Bahrain!

    99
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    Mute postman pat
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    Mar 8th 2016, 9:09 AM

    That’s all well and good until they become a drain on the health service at taxpayers expense

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    Mute Anton Friendo
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    Mar 8th 2016, 11:30 AM

    They tend to get a bit emosh after a few wines and even more irrational than usual

    12
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    Mute Bigarse O'Brien
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    Mar 8th 2016, 7:13 AM

    Sure they all have lovely bottomless brunches

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    Mute P. ENNIS
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    Mar 8th 2016, 6:28 AM

    If your Hanging out with irish men no matter who you are it will probably mean yiu will drink a lot more.

    86
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    Mute Jonny Irish
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    Mar 8th 2016, 6:27 AM

    There’s nothing more unladylike than a girl/lady/woman drinking pints.

    58
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    Mute AR
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    Mar 8th 2016, 6:49 AM

    Why? It’s not ‘unmanly’ (whatever that means) to drink wine.

    124
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    Mute David Thomas
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    Mar 8th 2016, 7:10 AM

    @AR…..It is if there’s pints on offer

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    Mute Bigus Diccus
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    Mar 8th 2016, 7:41 AM

    Smoking a pipe?

    16
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    Mute Get Lost Eircodes
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    Mar 8th 2016, 8:45 AM

    @ar not if it’s drank straight from the bottle…

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    Mute Amy Wendover
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    Mar 8th 2016, 10:36 AM

    In Ireland there is no proscription on the female gender drinking pints unlike across the water where half pints are only considered ‘suitable’ (rollseyes). That said have you seen the price of a half here compared to a pint? You’d want to be away in the head to order halves tbh …

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    Mute Range Rover P38
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    Mar 8th 2016, 8:35 AM

    Why do Italian women have less cancer but drink more Prosecco??

    51
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    Mute Sean Boyle
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    Mar 8th 2016, 8:55 AM

    Because Italian women only drink one glass at a time, not the whole bottle!

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    Mute Cowboys Ted
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    Mar 8th 2016, 12:18 PM

    Probably because they don’t smoke.40 Johnny Blue a day and have 4 Spicebags a week. Joking, Irish woman are the best. Love yous.

    15
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    Mute Del Haven
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    Mar 8th 2016, 7:04 AM

    Many women see Prosecco as harmless. Never try and tell them it’s not

    46
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    Mute Del Haven
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    Mar 8th 2016, 8:02 AM

    Red thumb if you’re a woman who ‘hicc’ disagrees.

    19
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    Mute Tim Burke
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    Mar 8th 2016, 6:27 AM

    Ban wine!! Before this gets out of control.

    38
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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Mar 8th 2016, 7:01 AM

    They tried that in America. It didn’t work.

    36
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    Mute Get Lost Eircodes
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    Mar 8th 2016, 8:47 AM

    Terrible patronising article surely de wimmin can be trusted not to drink their brains out…

    27
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    Mute Mark Hallon
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    Mar 8th 2016, 9:30 AM

    Alcohol Action are a prohibition lobby funded by the legion of Mary. Womens choices are not at the top of their list. Why are the journal giving these people a platform again?

    37
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    Mute James Onedin
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    Mar 8th 2016, 7:03 AM

    Can you get crotchless prosecco brunches I wonder??????

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    Mute Anton Friendo
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    Mar 8th 2016, 11:32 AM

    You can, but only de wimmin are allowed attend, because its empowering and other stuff ye know.

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    Mute Amy Wendover
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    Mar 8th 2016, 10:31 AM

    Five years ago you couldn’t get Prosecco here for love mor money – now it’s the national scourge? That said Lidl do sell some nice Prosecco now …

    15
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    Mute Colin Foley
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    Mar 8th 2016, 12:14 PM

    Surprising the amount of women who won’t admit they are alcoholics yet get tanked up most days, sadly their ego and pride will put them in a early grave.

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    Mute Amy Wendover
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    Mar 8th 2016, 2:30 PM

    Wow – Generalise much? Though tbh having to listen to yourself would probably make any poor woman turn to alcohol ..

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    Mute Steve
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    Mar 8th 2016, 12:22 PM

    Go live in Raqqa. no booze there. Another day another article about some other bloody issue that women have caused by themselves, but somehow will manage to blame men for.

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    Mute John Mullan
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    Mar 8th 2016, 7:46 AM

    Cancer by the glass?

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Mar 8th 2016, 8:16 AM

    Stop scaremongering

    36
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    Mute John Mullan
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    Mar 8th 2016, 10:01 AM

    11% breast cancer is due to alcohol. That’s scary

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    Mute Sean Boyle
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    Mar 8th 2016, 10:35 PM

    It would be if it were true. Overall, women have a 9.5% chance of getting breast cancer before they are 75. One study found that drinking every day raises that risk to 10.6%. So the risk for drinkers is 11% higher than for non drinkers (10.6 is 111% of 9.5, more or less) but it is still only a 1% rise overall. That is not the same thing as saying that 11% of breast cancers are due to alcohol.

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    Mute Conor Kirwan
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    Mar 8th 2016, 9:00 PM

    Bizzare day to specifically criticise women’s drinking habits! Then again, would you expect any more from the Legion of Mary?

    4
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