Irish Examiner view: Vital data to build a better society

The Healthy Ireland 2022 report functions as a snapshot of the country’s wellbeing but also reveals wider trends

The increase in drinking runs in parallel with the experience of the pandemic, with 13% of respondents saying they drink more now than before lockdown restrictions came into effect in March 2020.

The Healthy Ireland 2022 report functions as a snapshot of the country’s wellbeing, obviously enough, but it also has another application. Wider trends in Irish society can be glimpsed through the prism of the report and much can be revealed.

The snapshot provides an interesting mass of data — the headline findings include the conclusion that we appear to be drinking more alcohol, with a strong suggestion there has been a rise in the number of binge drinkers. The report’s figure is 32%, up from 22% last year, but the effect of wider trends clicks into place when considering those numbers.