A fifth of Irish adults are “hazardous drinkers”, a survey revealed yesterday.
And almost 25% are at risk of harm from excessive boozing.
A total of 74% believe binge-drinking is “just a part of Irish culture” – and most under-25s see it as a crutch.
Drinkaware chief Sheena Horgan called for an overhaul of our attitudes to boozing.
She said: “To get to the heart of the problem we need to examine and reassess some of our deep-rooted cultural norms and wide acceptance we are simply excessive drinkers by virtue of our national heritage.
“The Drinkaware Index research highlights a significant number of Irish adults are drinking at a level that may be putting their health at risk.
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“Of particular concern is these drinking habits appear even more embedded among younger people, with 64% of under-25s stating they often drink as a coping mechanism.”
A total of 23% of people are at potential risk of harm and 44% admitted weekly drinking.
More than a third of under-25s regularly binge-drink while 24% believe their boozing habits could cause health problems.
The survey also found 19% of under-25s exceed binge-drinking levels in a normal session.
This young section of adults had their first alcoholic drink at 14.3 years compared to the national average of 15.5 years.
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Ms Horgan said while the negative impacts of alcohol are widely known, there is less published analysis on motivational drivers across different demographics and ages.
She added: “Qualifying the context in which alcohol is experienced – in terms of both consumption and environmental exposure – is critical if we are to understand the depth of the social problem we are trying to redress.
“The 2019 Drinkaware Index has quantified and exposed, for the first time, the collective complacency and cultural acceptance surrounding Irish drinking patterns.
