Irish people in denial about excessive drinking levels, report finds

A standard drink is the equivalent of a half-pint, a 100ml glass of wine, and a pub measure of spirits. A 'binge' is six drinks or more in a sitting — or three pints. Picture: Johnny Green/PA Wire

The chief executive of Drinkaware has warned that many Irish people are in denial about their drinking habits, with some "binge drinkers" not realising that they are imbibing extremely dangerous levels of alcohol.

A report by the Health Research Board (HRB) has indicated that two in three individuals fail to recognise when their alcohol intake is at an excessive level.

The study found that people tend to underreport or underestimate how much alcohol they drink, with results from alcohol consumption surveys not matching up with alcohol sales figures.

Drinkaware chief executive Sheena Horgan said there is a "knowledge deficit" among drinkers.

"If people don't know what low risk is and they don't know what high risk is, then how can they understand what binge drinking is?"

The HSE advises no more than 11 standard drinks a week for women and 17 for men, with at least two alcohol-free days. 

The HRB report found that 97% of adults who drink alcohol don't know the HSE's low-risk weekly guidelines.

A standard drink is the equivalent of a half-pint, a 100ml glass of wine, and a pub measure of spirits. A "binge" is six drinks or more in a sitting — or three pints.

Between 2020 and 2021, the frequency of binges increased among drinkers, with the figure doubling in the 18-24 age group.

Ms Horgan said that a person who drinks six or seven pints and then doesn't drink for a month is still classed as a binge drinker.

"Hazardous drinkers are those that are drinking at a risky level but may not have experienced harm.

"That particular person (drinking six or seven pints) may be absolutely fine. It doesn't mean to say there aren't harms that will come further down the line or harms that maybe they're not cognisant of around sleep, mental health, relationships," she said on Newstalk.