Ireland has the highest proportion of regular drinkers of alcohol in the European Union.
New data from Eurostat, the European Union statistical agency, shows that the Irish are twice as likely to be regular drinkers of alcohol as the European average.
While we've long protested about the image of the drunken Irish, few were surprised that there's now hard evidence to show this stereotype could be true.
Customers at the Punch Bowl pub in Dublin were not surprised by the findings of the report. One woman points out,
If we're celebrating, we drink. If we're drowning our sorrows, we drink. If we're going on holiday, we're drinking on the flight.
The report also shows a dramatic rise in alcohol consumption by young Irish women. While across all age categories, 51 per cent of people are regular drinkers of alcohol. This compares to 44 per cent in Britain and an EU average of 25 per cent. The Italians have the lowest rate of regular alcohol consumption at 12 per cent.
Dr Shane Butler, Department of Sociology at Trinity College Dublin, says that the level of disposable income is a key factor in drinking patterns.
It seems that when Irish people can afford to drink, they do.
Dr Joe Barry, president of the Irish Medical Organisation, says that evidence exists that alcohol is causing problems across society.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 9 March 2004. The reporter is Eileen Whelan.
