Students drink much more and at younger age

DRAMATIC changes in drinking habits among students have emerged, revealing Ireland’s brains of the future are consuming alcohol at much earlier ages and in more dangerous quantities.

Students on average begin drinking at the age of 15 and think downing more than 13 pints of beer a week is excessive. This is a far higher amount of alcohol compared to graduates, who say eight pints a week is over the top.

The University College Cork (UCC) study warns that the lower the starting age of drinking among students, the higher amounts they are likely to consume every week.