Four out of 10 in-patients binge drink, report finds

ALMOST four out of 10 adults admitted to a general hospital have an alcohol disorder or engage in binge drinking, according to a new report.

Researchers said the high number reflected the scale of alcohol misuse in society and called for urgent screening of people in hospitals and the general community.

The study found the average age of those binge drinking was 47, contradicting the popular association of the phenomenon with young people.

Research conducted among the general in-patient population in James Connolly Memorial Hospital in west Dublin, found:

* One third were binge drinkers, with a fifth binge drinking more than twice weekly.

* 28% of patients had an alcohol use disorder, 90% of whom were binge drinkers.

* Half of men engaged in binge drinking, compared to 17% of females.

* 49% of men had an alcohol disorder, compared to 8% of women.

Alcohol use disorder includes hazardous, harmful or dependent drinking, while binge drinking involves the consumption of more than six units (around three pints) in one session.

“Overall, 36% of the people had an alcohol problem, either an alcohol use disorder or binge drinking,” said lead author Dr Guy Molyneux.

Dr Molyneux, based in the Department of Old Age Psychiatry at Sligo General Hospital, said the figure was higher than expected, particularly for the more serious condition of alcohol use disorder.

“We had 28% of people with an alcohol disorder, which incorporates hazardous drinking, where there is evidence alcohol may have caused harm, such as stomach ulcers, hazardous drinking, which is drinking behaviour that puts you at risk of those things and alcohol dependence.”

He said it was difficult to extrapolate from the hospital figures to the situation in wider society.

“It may not be representative of the wider population, but there must be some association. It must reflect what’s going on in society and other studies have shown that, there is a big problem with heavy drinking here.”

He said a survey by the World Health Organisation in 2002 found Ireland had the second-highest per capita consumption in the EU and the fourth-highest in the world.

He said many of these drinkers would not consider themselves to have any problem with alcohol and would not normally be picked up by the health service.

“We are only seeing the tip of the iceberg,” he said.