Alcohol consumption – slight increase

Alcohol consumption increased slightly in 2014 and remained steady in 2015 according to the ninth edition of the HSE’s Health in Ireland Key Trends 2016, the reference guide to significant trends in health and health care over the past decade, which reports that, “The official figures do not include purchases made outside the State or illegal imports into the State which may exaggerate the recent years’ decline”.

The report continues, “The highest percentage of regular binge-drinking, defined as drinking six or more units of alcohol at least once a month over a 12 month period, is seen amongst younger age groups. The percentage of regular binge-drinkers in Ireland is slightly higher than the EU-25 average”.

The figures also reveal that, “Substance use amongst 15-16 year olds in Ireland in the previous 30 days prior to survey was lower than the EU average for cigarettes, alcohol and heavy episodic drinking, with only cannabis use being slightly higher than the EU average”.