Health Minister snubs own report on Irish alcohol abuse problem

Just when we thought it was safe to think we weren't Europe's booziest people the news hits us that the average Irish adult drinks the equivalent of a bottle of vodka every week.

A new study says on average and Irish adult drinks an amount of alcohol equal to 482 pints of larger every year. The Department of Health report warns that 1.5 million people are drinking to excess, which can put them at an increased risk of getting cancer or heart disease.

The National Substance Misuse Strategy may have been compiled by the Department of Health, but the Health Minister James Reilly couldn't be bothered turning up to its launch. His Labour Junior Minister Róisín Shortall wasn't too enthused by it either, she only briefly attended the press conference.

Denis Bradley, who was a member of the report's steering committee, said: "It is a hot political potato. A lot of the recommendations were made before, and governments walked away from them."

Alcohol abuse is no small problem, costing the State €1.2 billion a year in medical expenses.