Young holidaymakers risk heart issues over drink

Young Irish holidaymakers can drink so much abroad they have to be admitted to hospital with potentially serious heart issues on their return to this country.

The Irish Heart Foundation flagged the problem as it launched a campaign to force people to wake up to the link between excessive drinking and avoidable heart and stroke deaths.

Speaking at the launch of a nationwide campaign to tackle the issue, IHF medical director Dr Angie Brown said that while the issue affects almost all age groups, the most distressing cases are young people — including Leaving Cert and college students — who suffer potentially serious heart problems after returning from drink-fuelled holidays.