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A NEW REPORT into how much alcohol we drink in Ireland lays bare the stark facts about how it is harming our health.
The Health Research Board study, called Alcohol in Ireland: Consumption, harm, cost and policy response, shows that in 2013, alcohol consumption was responsible for three deaths every day.
It found that Irish people drink the equivalent of 29 litres of vodka a year, which adds up to 11 litres of pure alcohol.
This is the amount drunk per capita. The report points out:
As 20.6% of the adult population abstain from alcohol completely, those who drink alcohol consume even greater quantities (46 bottles of vodka or 130 bottles of wine or 498 pints of beer). Consumption in 2014 was 20.9% higher than the target of 9.1 litres, as recommended by the steering group report.
It also found:
In 2014, one-in-three self-harm presentations were alcohol-related.
An estimated 5,315 people on the Live Register in November 2013 had lost their job due to alcohol use.
The study looked at data compiled from the hospital in-patient reporting system, and says that what it found confirms the impact of alcohol consumption on Ireland’s health system.
Dr Graham Love, chief executive at the Health Research Board said: “This report clearly illustrates how Irish people’s drinking patterns are harming their health, increasing public health care costs and negatively impacting productivity.”
The report also highlights that the rate of alcoholic liver disease trebled between 1995 and 2013, according to Dr Deirdre Mongan, lead author and Research Officer at the HRB.
“The fact the highest rate of increase was found in 15-34 year olds is a real public health concern as alcoholic liver disease usually develops after a number of years of harmful drinking, and as a result it is normally seen in older people,” she said.
However, these increases would reflect the high occurrence of harmful drinking patterns that have been observed in numerous Irish surveys over the past decade.
What we drink – and how much of it
The study breaks down exactly how much alcohol Irish people drink every year. It found that in 2014 Irish drinkers consumed on average 11 litres of pure alcohol each.
This is equal to 29 litres of vodka, 116 bottles of wine or 445 pints of beer.
In 2012, Ireland had the fourth highest alcohol consumption level among 36 OECD countries – after Estonia, France and Lithuania.
In 2013, the HRB Alcohol Diary survey showed that more than 50% of Irish drinkers consume alcohol in a harmful manner – such as drinking too much in one sitting and imbibing more than the recommended number of standard drinks in a week.
What about our health?
The study also examined the impact of alcohol on our health and Ireland’s health system.
It found that:
HealthResearchBoard / TwitterHow does drinking alcohol impact our economy pic.twitter.com/bWIsXtWe4s
— HealthResearchBoard (@hrbireland) June 22, 2016
The study looked at treatment for alcohol addiction, and found that a total of 7,549 cases entered treatment in 2013 with alcohol as their main problem drug.
These cases were predominantly male and the average age of those who sought treatment was 39-40 years. This is a decrease of just over 12% since 2011.
This decrease could reflect a true decrease in the number of cases, reduced levels of participation or under-reporting or a combination of these factors.
Dr Mongan said that between 2008 and 2013, 69% of alcohol-related deaths were due to medical causes (such as liver disease), 16% were due to poisonings and 15% due to traumatic causes (such as a road traffic collision).
This indicates that one death per day is due to poisoning or trauma and two deaths are due to chronic conditions.
Alcohol and money
The cost to the tax-payer for alcohol-related discharges from hospital is €1.5 billion, which is equal to €1 for every €10 spent on public health in 2012. This excludes the cost of emergency cases, GP visits, psychiatric admissions and alcohol treatment services.
In 2013, alcohol-related discharges accounted for 160,211 bed days in public hospitals, which added up to 3.6% of all bed days that year. That’s compared to 56,264 bed days or 1.7% of the total number of bed days in 1995.
Risky drinking patterns
The Health Research Board said that this new report “presents national and international evidence that the health of Irish people would improve if we reduce overall alcohol consumption and address risky drinking patterns”.
There is substantive and clear international evidence about the most effective policies to reduce alcohol-related harm. These include making alcohol more expensive, restricting its availability and reducing its promotion.
According to Dr Mongan, the data in this report shows that alcohol is price sensitive: “when its price increases, then its consumption decreases and vice versa”.
Dr Love concluded by saying that if we want to address the individual and societal costs of our alcohol consumption, we need to put evidence-based public health responses in place, like those proposed in the new Public Health Alcohol Bill.
The report is available to read on the HRB website.
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Fair play to her
Must have heard Donald trump is popular candidate for the presidency and had a heart attack at the thought of him being a neighbour
RIP
What a sad existence.
Have a look at your own life before you make assumptions about others. I’m sure it’s not all rosy in the garden!
My life is fine. What’s your point exactly? 35 years protesting is a waste of time – what did she accomplish?
Like that moron in India who has held his hand in the air for the last 30 years – it’s stupid.
Maybe you just don’t know what it is like to stand for something. It may have been futile but I’m sure everyone who has stood for something has been told by cynics like you that it was a waste of time or futile. Ma
The lady had mental health issues
And what a sad end for those in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
You’re confused Allen. You seem to be implying I said something I didn’t.
I never said you shouldn’t stand up for what you believe.
I never said people shouldn’t protest.
I never said protests don’t work.
I never questioned her integrity.
You get 1 life – hers is over now, and she spent 35 years of it doing this. And for what? It’s a sad existence – she wasted almost half her life IMO.
Neil Holland, it was however her life, and you have no way of knowing whether she considered her life wasted or not, so don;t make any presumptions
I don;’t disagree with you, Larissa – but it’s possible you’re confused too, like Allen.
I never claimed to know whether she considered her life wasted or not. It’s possible that you don’t know what “IMO” means, which was at the end of my last post. It means’ in MY opinion’ – I never claimed to know her opinion.
Neil, she may well have done exactly what she wanted with her life. You don’t have the monopoly on the metrics on how people should spend their lives.
Eh, Eric – see my post directly above yours.
Not the smartest people around here, are there? Going around in circles repeating myself.
Owen: “It’s her life – you don’t know what she wanted from it!”
Me: “Yes, I know. I just said that in my opinion, it’s a waste.”
Allen: “It’s her life – you don’t know what she wanted from it!”
Me: “Yes, I know. I just said that in my opinion, it’s a waste.”
Larissa: “It’s her life – you don’t know what she wanted from it!”
Me: “Yes, I know. I just said that in my opinion, it’s a waste.”
Eric: “It’s her life – you don’t know what she wanted from it!”
Me: “Yes, I know. I just said that in my opinion, it’s a waste.”
Neil thats pretty narrow minded. Is life based entirely on accomplisments? Maybe she met a lot of people, saw a lot of interesting things, felt very fulfilled and at peace with herself for doing something she thought was right. Saying that, what she did is stupid is a pretty stupid thing to say and it may be a waste of time for you cause you hold different values. She died and the fact you read an article about her over 3000 miles away and a lot of people seem to care that she died is an accomplishment in itself. That may be more that will be said about u when you die. RIP
Hear, hear James. As you so rightly point out this lady will be remembered – how many internet smart arses will be?
“how many internet smart arses will be?”
I just got talked down to for “presuming” stuff about people, and then you go and presume you know what internet smartarses do in the real world. Weird. I guess you know them all in real life and their accomplishments.
here we go again so dont make presumptions, dont have an opinion, Neil did not refer to her as considering her life was wasted or not, but it is his option that it was, and he is entitled to ,express it, it not another judging or hate phobia crime for you to police, For what its worth i think it was wasted, i assume you have the same option on priests and other practitioners of organised religion, you express them freely enough, without others lecturing you on your presumptions
At least she stood for something…How can anyone build a weapon that can take out millions of people at a go? Human Wickedness
Must check out how much a nuclear shelter costs now that the one person who single handedly saved us all from a nuclear apocalypse is gone.
You’re a dumb fvck.
Owen your a bit of a potty mouth, whats wrong have you got a limited vocabulary, can you not express yourself without resorting to expletives
We can stop hiding now lads, she’s gone…..
From the first US Atomic Bombing Hiroshima “Little Boy” on 6 August 1945
to the broadcast of US TV film “The Day After” on 20 November 1983 is 1998 weeks.
1998 weeks = 666 weeks + 666 weeks + 666 Weeks.
Ah Frank and his numbers!!!
Where have you been man? It’s been depressingly number free around here of late.
Sure everyone knows about the whole atomic bomb/”The Day After” 666 sum. It’s one of the first things we all learn in school.
Huge Respect, The hypocrisy of US Foreign Policy is A Nuclear weapon in the hands of an Ally is a “deterrent” yet in the hands of an advisory is reason enough to invade. If only more had the same courage as this Lady, the world would be a far less hostile place. Similarly Middle Eastern States which are resourceful and have dictatorships are deemed inhumane and in need of Democratic overthrows, whilst other stronger and perhaps even more inhumane Middle Eastern States whom ally with US policy are deemed progressive and an ally. Donald Trump’s ascension in my opinion is the best thing to happen to this world, because he has brought to the masses the lunacy of continuing to abide to US Foreign Policy. I Love America and its people, just not its batshit foreign policy. Hope for humanity’s sake Bernie Sanders wins the next election and restores some form of sense to this ever changing fragile world of ours.
Having mental health issue does not null & void a protest or the strong moral code behind it. People who say this as if it does are actually madder than she was.
Yeah were all mad. Im getting out of the rat race going to live on the streets and when i die of alcoholism and hypothermia at least ill have an obituary in the journal with people who never knew me saying rip for green thumbs
Mad old crone who gives a rats.would she not have been better getting a job or somerhing
She’d have been better off doing almost anything else. There are very very few 80 year olds in the U.S in winter that have to spend their days without the benefit of central heating.
“In a statement, the Peace House organisation said:
“She manned the White House antinuclear peace vigil the longest. She stayed there through thick and thin and was dedicated to a cause that sometimes seemed to be like an unhealthy relationship.””
So even according to her own best advocates she was basically nuts. This is the story of a mentally ill woman who should have gotten help but didn’t, because she was an immigrant and instead of a family to look out for her all she had was a bunch of anti-nuclear fantasists. Very sad. RIP.
What,s the story on the guy outside Balldonnell aerodrome banging the drum, anyone got any background on what his agenda is ??
Rest in peace, Connie. OM AH HUNG BENZA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUM
Love her hair, who really owns it?
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