We must change our attitude - Alcohol consumption in Ireland

THERE is nothing particularly new about Ireland’s reputation as a hard-drinking nation. Except, perhaps, for one thing: we did not deserve that reputation until recently.

As our report today shows, alcohol consumption in Ireland has more than doubled since the 1960s when it consisted mostly of middle-aged men drinking in pubs.

The prevalence of cheap alcohol in supermarkets and off-licences has lead to a huge rise in alcohol consumption at home and, as liver specialist Professor Frank Murray put it, it is an “equal opportunities destroyer”.