Problem drinking among young people in Ireland

Alcohol is widely consumed in many societies. It is estimated to be responsible for 4% of the global disease burden, and is third only to tobacco and hypertension as a leading cause of death in high-income countries. Ireland has one of the highest levels of alcohol use per capita in the world. According to Barnardos (a children’s charity) there was a 48% increase in alcohol consumption per capita in Ireland between 1986 and 2006 (Barnardos, 2008). The Irish government endorsed the European Charter on Alcohol in 1995 but, in spite of this, the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption have increased (Mongan et al, 2002). About 28% of all injuries presenting to emergency departments in Ireland are alcohol related (Hope, 2008) and the number of hospital discharges related to alcohol increased by 92% between 1995 and 2002 (Mongan et al, 2002). Hope (2008) found that alcohol was implicated in 36.5% of road traffic fatalities in 2003 in Ireland, and was also a contributory factor in several cases of house fires and domestic abuse.