Dire drinking: we are Europe’s worst binge boozers

THE Irish are Europe’s biggest binge drinkers and even increasing the price of alcohol by 25% would not make them drink less, claims an EU-wide survey.

When it comes to drink driving, none of those questioned knew the blood-alcohol limit, making them the most uninformed in Europe along with the British and the Maltese.

Questioned face-to-face in their homes, over 40% of the Irish said they drank just once a week, but most of them admitted they have at least three drinks during a session while one-third said they have five or more.

This puts the Irish top of the drinkers’ league among the 27 EU countries, where an average of just 10% say they have five or more drinks in a sitting, with far more young people admitting to binge-drinking.

EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said some of the figures were very worrying. “I am deeply concerned about the data showing that one in five young Europeans regularly binge drink”, he said.

About 90% of Irish people said they had taken a drink in the last year while 70% said they had a drink in the past month. This is an increase from 60% in three years when a similar survey was carried out.

Women in most other countries drink significantly less than men, but in Ireland the differences are less, with roughly the same number of men and women saying they have between three and four drinks during a session.

The heaviest drinkers are young people, the self-employed and managers, according to the survey carried out last October by Eurobarometer.

The Irish were among the most impervious to price increases, or decreases. Over 70% of those questioned said that hiking the price of alcohol by 25% would not force them to drink less while a similar drop in price would encourage one in five to consume more.

When it came to questions of drink driving, the Irish believe more than most that the best way of stamping it out is through effective police checks. But they were among the most ignorant in the EU of what the permitted blood-alcohol level is in the country.

But three-quarters said young drivers should be subject to stricter limits. The current limit is .8 which is higher than in most other EU countries where it is at the recommended .5. The European Commission has urged Ireland to adopt the smaller limit, pointing out some drivers have a 10-time higher risk of having an accident at .8 than at .5.

The commission also wants it dropped to .2 or zero for inexperienced drivers, drivers of large vehicles and those carrying dangerous goods and public transport. They also supported putting warnings on bottles, especially aimed at pregnant women and drivers, and favoured a total ban on alcohol advertising.

Mr Kyprianou said: “It is evident from this survey that EU citizens support measures crafted to protect specific groups in society, such as pregnant women, drivers and young people from the harmful effects of alcohol abuse and misuse”.

Asked if individuals should be responsible for their drinking or should public authorities intervene, a slightly higher proportion of Irish said the public authorities should take action.

Drink: the facts

* Drank in last year: 90%. (EU average: 87%).

* Drank in last month: 70% (EU average 48%).

* Drank once a week: 41% (EU average 25%).

* Drink every day: 2% (EU average 13%).

* Drink two-three times a week: 29% (EU average 23%)

* Have 3 – 4 drinks at a time: 36% (EU average 18%).

* Have five or more drinks at a time: 34% (EU average: 10%).

* A 25% price increase would not reduce your consumption: 71% (63%)

* A price drop of 25% would not increase consumption: 63% (81%).