Hangover nation: What is it about Ireland and drink?
We drink too much in Ireland. As a nation, we consistently place highly in the global heavy drinking league. Excess alcohol consumption causes many problems. It is, for example, the major cause of death in men aged 35 to 50 in Ireland. A HSE report suggests the estimated overall cost of alcohol abuse to Irish society was €3.7bn in 2007. The consequences of long-term, heavy drinking are by now well-known within the health services and to health professionals, if not often well understood by the drinking public at large. Every organ system and tissue of the body is adversely affected by alcohol misuse. The effects of alcohol misuse can be amplified by consuming tobacco and other drugs. There may also be particular genetic vulnerabilities to alcohol which also amplify its effects.
The consequences of long-term heavy drinking for the brain are becoming better understood. Alcohol depresses brain function, circuit by circuit, causing reliable, characteristic, and sought-after effects. Alcohol consumption causes behavioural changes, starting with feelings of euphoria and loss of inhibitions. Continued alcohol consumption impairs thinking (including understanding the thoughts and intentions of others), and impairs motor function. With enough alcohol is consumed, the brain circuits controlling vital for life functions, such as breathing (inducing “respiratory depression”), become impaired. This may result in possible brain damage and even brain death. A sustained reduction in alcohol consumption (or abstaining from alcohol) can halt or even reverse damage to many, if not most body tissues and organs.
