Just under half of Irish adults say their excessive drinking is “no big deal”

A new study from DrinkAware reveals some alarming attitudes towards drinking in Ireland.

46% of Irish adults believe that drinking to excess is no big deal, while more than seven in ten Irish people believe that drinking to excess is just a part of Irish culture, according to research from DrinkAware. 1,000 adults over the age of 18 were interviewed as part of the research, which also revealed that 27% of Irish people thought that drink-driving has become “less of an issue” in recent years, contrary to research by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Síochána. While the figures mentioned above represented a worrying attitude towards excessive drinking by many in Ireland, the research also showed that many adults are beginning to understand the effect that it can have on their health. 69% of Irish adults, for example, say they are more aware of how excessive drinking affects their health and well-being, while just under half (46%) say they have made small positive changes to their drinking habits recently. One in three, meanwhile, admitted wanting to drink less often and when asked what might help people to cut down, 82% of respondents agreed that alcohol education encourages people to reduce their consumption. Drinkware are encouraging people to use the tools available on their website - supported by frontline healthcare and education professionals – to make people more aware of the risks they face through binge drinking on a regular basis. Commenting on the research, Dr Liam Twomey, Chief Medical Officer, Drinkaware said: “While this report shows that many people understand the impacts of alcohol and their health, it does highlight worrying behaviours and attitudes among many people around excessive drinking. As a GP, I regularly see people in my surgery who recognise the health implications of alcohol in theory, but find it very hard to put that understanding into practice. I often see this disconnect between what people intend to do and want to do, and what they end up doing on a night out. “These attitudes are pervasive in Ireland, but we are seeing positive changes too. I encourage all of my patients to think about how they perceive their relationship to alcohol, the ‘excuses’ we all make about drink being ingrained in our culture, and about the significant health consequences they can face, such as liver complications, coronary heart disease, certain cancers, mental health problems, obesity; to name a few. “In addition, there are the social implications, such as drink driving and relationship problems alcohol can cause. What we’re seeing now is this gap between people’s good intentions and some stubborn, outdated attitudes which are still lingering about binge drinking being all part of the ‘craic’. “It is encouraging to see that many young people are now foregoing binge drinking of alcohol, and research by Drinkaware last year revealed the education they receive from their parents can have dramatic impacts on how they view their own relationship with alcohol.”