Alcoholism in Ireland

Alcoholism in Ireland is a significant public health problem. In Ireland, 70.0% of Irish men and 34.1% of Irish women aged 15+ are considered to be hazardous drinkers.[1] In the same age group, there are over one hundred and fifty thousand Irish people who are classified as 'dependent drinkers'.[2] According to Eurostat, 24% of Ireland's population engages in heavy episodic drinking at least once a month, compared to the European average of 19%.[3]

Alcohol is both an important economic industry for Ireland[4] and a key facilitator for social interactions. Alcohol abuse is a problem in Ireland, with Ireland having the 17th highest rate of pure alcohol consumption in Europe.[5] Alcohol abuse creates extensive problems on the Irish medical services, and alcoholism is implicated in at least three deaths a day in Ireland.[2]

The reasons for excessive alcohol consumption in Ireland are varied. It is not possible to attribute one single cause to alcohol abuse; however, historically, the influence of British cultural practises combined with the poor climate of Ireland have played a major role in excessive Irish alcohol consumption.[6]

  1. ^ "HRB Overview Series: Alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harm and alcohol policy in Ireland" (PDF). Health Research Board Ireland. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Overview of alcohol related harm". Alcohol Action Ireland. 17 November 2011. Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ Bello, Camille (31 January 2023). "Europeans are the world's heaviest drinkers: How do countries compare?". euronews. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Alcoholic Drinks in Ireland - Marketline Report Store". store.marketline.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  5. ^ "Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2014". www.who.int. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  6. ^ Delaney, Liam; Kapteyn, Arie; Smith, James P. (1 March 2013). "Why Do Some Irish Drink So Much? Family, Historical and Regional Effects on Students' Alcohol Consumption and Subjective Normative Thresholds". Review of Economics of the Household. 11 (1): 1–27. doi:10.1007/s11150-011-9134-5. ISSN 1569-5239. PMC 3646387. PMID 23662096.