Study: One in five drink to excess

ONE in five Irish people drink “excessively” every week, with a significant number of the population drinking far more than international health recommendations.

Research by the department of general practice at UCC shows that despite the vast majority of Irish people believing they have normal consumption levels, our unwanted reputation as a nation of drunks continues to have a grain of truth to it.

According to the research — based on the responses of 115 UCC students and 133 graduates to questions about their weekly drinking habits — a series of “dramatic changes” in recent decades has led to young people consuming far more alcohol than recommended.