People in Ireland knocked back the equivalent of 40 bottles of vodka or 113 bottles of wine on average in 2019, a new report published today has revealed.
The Health Research Board found that consumptionhas remained steady since 2013 – with the average person consuming 10.8 litres of pure alcohol in 2019.
But as one in four people say they do not drink, those who do drink alcohol consumed more in 2019 than in previous years, with the average drinker going through the equivalent of a bottle of vodka per week – or 574 pints per year.
Ireland has the ninth highest alcohol consumption rate of all OECD member countries per capita, and the eighth highest rate of monthly binge drinking.
More than half (52.3%) of all Irish drinkers in the report were classified as “hazardous drinkers” with dangerous consumption more common among men (70.0%) than women (34.1%).
Overall, those between 15 and 24 years of age were almost twice as likely to be classified as hazardous drinkers compared with those in the 65 years and over age group.
The study found that spirits were the most popular type of alcoholic drink among schoolchildren of all ages, followed by cider and alcopops.
This differs from the general population, where beer is the most popular beverage, followed by wine and spirits.
The source of alcohol most commonly reported by teenagers under 18 was parents, followed by the pub, bar or disco.
Girls were more likely than boys to report that parents had given them alcohol on their most recent drinking occasion, with 38.0% of 16–year-olds and 45.8% of 17– year-olds receiving alcohol from their parents.
