Irish women in top tier for drink related crashes
According to a study by Allianz, Ireland ranks 25th in Europe for the proportion of road accident victims attributed to alcohol.
In total, alcohol is linked to just under 11% of global fatalities and over 14% of traffic accidents.
Alcohol-related accidents are twice as likely to be fatal, while men and drivers between the ages of 21 and 24 are particularly affected.
The Allianz study found there were significant regional differences in relation to alcohol-related road accidents. Eastern Europe and central Asia (18.2%), followed by Europe (16.7%) and the Americas (12.9%). Meanwhile, Africa (8%), Asia Pacific (7.3%) and the Middle East (2.4%) sit well below the global average of 10.9%.
In Europe the number of fatalities in alcohol-related accidents is highest in the eastern countries.
Italy has the lowest rate of alcohol-related accidents at 2.7%. Ireland, at 14.1% is just below European average of 16.74% in 25th place.
In most countries, men are twice as likely to be involved in fatal, alcohol-induced road accidents as women. Ireland is no exception, with 19.8% of fatal accidents involving men down to alcohol consumption, while the figure for women lies at 8.4%.
Meanwhile, Irish pharmacists have also warned of the dangers of mixing alcohol and medicines over Christmas and the New Year. The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) pointed out that alcohol can interact negatively with hundreds of commonly used medicines, including over-the-counter and herbal remedies.
Consuming alcohol at the same time as using these medicines has the potential to cause problems and put people at risk, pharmacists are advising.
The IPU said mixing alcohol with medicines can also make medicines less effective or can intensify medication side effects, such as sleepiness, drowsiness and light-headedness, affecting concentration levels and the ability to operate machinery or drive a vehicle.
Vice-president of the IPU Daragh Connolly said there were a range of issues people needed to be aware of when mixing alcohol with any kind of medicine.
“Although most medicines are safe and effective when used as directed, mixing alcohol and medicines puts you at risk of a dangerous reaction. Our advice is if you are taking any medication, ask your pharmacist for advice before consuming alcohol to make sure it is safe to mix the two,” he said.
Mr Connolly said the festive period was a time to be particularly vigilant as people tended to drink more at this time of year.
“We also need to remember medicines containing alcohol can affect a person’s blood alcohol concentration limits so, by drinking alcohol on top of taking medication, you could put yourself over the legal limit for driving. Our advice is to always read the label and, when in doubt, ask your pharmacist,” he said.
