Teenagers in Ireland have been ranked among the highest binge drinkers globally, with Irish teenage girls being one the top binge drinkers in the world.
In a study done on adolescent health published by The Lancet, Irish teenage girls have topped the charts behind Denmark and Finland, with 61 percent of girls studied reporting binge drinking in the last year.
All three countries, Denmark, Finland and Ireland have all received ‘red’ grades in the area of female binge drinking among teens, with males also receiving a red grade. Male teenage drinkers have still ranked among the highest binge drinkers globally, but Irish females have just out-done them.
Overall, Irish teenagers have been ranked as one of the worst binge-drinkers in the world, with both male and female receiving red grades for their drinking habits. The study tracked teenagers between 1990 and 2016 across a number of indicators, along with smoking and obesity.
Teenage girls in Ireland have also ranked higher than teenage boys in smoking, with 13 percent of teenage girls studied being smokers, and only 12 percent of males.
Alcohol Action Ireland reported that Ireland as a nation has consumed 11 litres of pure alcohol each a year – shocking figures. That’s the equivalent of a litre of vodka a week or 482 pints a year.
There has been a rise in consumption of spirits in Ireland over the last number of years, with the rise of interest in gin and cocktails being the reason.
It doesn’t seem like much will change this weekend as we enter into one of the biggest Irish celebrations of the year, St. Patrick’s day weekend.
It’ll take a lot of dedication for Ireland to change it’s drinking habits, and steer away from the typical stereotype of heavy drinkers. That being said as a Nation over the years we have become a lot more health conscious.
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