The Demon Drink

Grey

Grey

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Breaking news in the Irish Independent:



Ireland has the second highest consumption of alcohol in the western developed world, according to a report on health from the OECD which was released today.


It also shows that we're just below average when it comes to the amount of money spent on health care.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's 'Health at a Glance' report places Ireland above the average for life expectancy for western developed nations at 79.5 years.

Infant mortality rates are below average, while Ireland comes sixth in the survey for the amount of adults who say their health is good, very good or excellent.

Health spending as a percentage of gross national income is 8.8%, just below the OECD average of 9%.
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Life expectancy above average, infant mortality below average, and a high proportion are happy with the state of their health. Anyone might think having a few pints is positively beneficial.
 
I love the latest thinking as reported on the radio this morning - that it is being proposed that alcohol be made more expensive and more difficult to get hold of, in order to stop binge drinking*.

*that'll be the "binge drinking" as defined by the consumption of 21+ units/wk for men or 14+ units/wk for women :suspect:

(what happened to the official definition of not drinking often, then drinking enough to floor an elephant in one sitting? As usual, the media/Government have warped the meaning of words to suit their purposes)
 
Yes, cutting off the supply of alcohol did wonders for law and order in Chicago in the 1930's didn't it. Incidentally if Ireland was second in the league who was top?
 
Those well known hellholes, France and Luxembourg, have higher per capita consumption than Ireland.
 
How can Ireland be "second" if France and Luxembourg are higher?

Just being a little bit pedantic

as for the Uk goverments current obsession with drinking, the laughable assertion that a glass or two of wine a day in a surrey village is "a problem" shows how utterly clueless they are and perhaps just a bit too eager to have a pop at the middle classes
 
Think Luxembourg is top although I think this one is based on amount of alcohol bought relevant to the population,

Reason they're top is I believe they have relatively cheap off licences etc - therefore people from neighbouring countries pop in to buy their booze there.

Which really means Ireland should be top
 
I wonder if these figures are the average spend on alcohol rather than the quantity of alcohol consumed. Your average Frenchman can quaff about 6 litres of plonk at home for the price of a gin and tonic in a pub over here.
 
Alcohol consumption figures static

Monday, November 19th


A report published today by the Health Service Executive (HSE) shows that alcohol consumption per capita has been static in Ireland since 2003.

The report analyses trends in alcohol consumption between 1986 and 2006 and shows that alcohol consumption per capita peaked in 2001 and 2002 at 11.2 litres of pure alcohol per capita. A rise in excise duty on cider in 2001 and a rise in excise duty on spirits in 2002 together led to a reduction from 11.2 in 2001 and 2002 to 10.6 in 2003. The rate has remained static since then.

"The findings show that a raise in excise duty remains an effective measure to reduce alcohol related harm in this country", said Dr Joe Barry. To this end the Health Service Executive has recommended a 10% rise in excise duty on alcohol in the forthcoming budget.

"Alcohol related health and social harm are still having major impacts on Irish society and the aim of the Strategic Taskforce on Alcohol, of
reducing our alcohol consumption to the European Union average, has still not been realised. Results of recent reports from the Health
Research Board and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development point to the need for a reduction in our alcohol consumption
level", said Dr Barry.

Irish adults are the third highest consumers of alcohol in the enlarged EU behind Luxembourg and Hungary. Beer remains the most popular alcoholic drink in Ireland but its share of the market has fallen from 69% in 1986 to 51% in 2006. Wine has grown, rising to 21% in 2006 from just 6% of the market in 1986. Spirits-on which there was the most recent rise in excise duty-have fallen back to 19% from 23% in 1986.

Data for the report has been calculated using sales figures supplied by the Revenue Commissioners and population figures from the Central
Statistics Office.

You can read or download this report HERE.
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The press release above is on the Health Service Executive website (hse.ie).

Bobbyjo makes a valid point about high sales of alcohol in Luxembourg to persons in neighbouring countries who hop over the border.

I don't deny that alcohol is the root cause of much suffering in Ireland, but the bit I find simplistic in the above report is where Dr Barry equates consumption of alcohol to alcohol related harm: "The findings show that a raise in excise duty remains an effective measure to reduce alcohol related harm in this country".

The findings don't show any such thing; for that he would have to show the benefits in reduced hospital admissions, incidence of domestic violence, etc. Instead they only show a reduction in average consumption. Might campaigns to discourage irresponsible consumption, rather than consumption in general, not be more effective in reducing the harm caused by alcohol abuse?

By the way, I reckon 10.2 litres of alcohol, the current average adult consumption in Ireland, equates to around 390 pints of beer (assuming average strength of 4.8%), 120 bottles of wine (13%) or 22 bottles of spirits (70%) per year.
 
equates to around 390 pints of beer (assuming average strength of 4.8%), 120 bottles of wine (13%) and 22 bottles of spirits (70%) per year.
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Thats uncannily coincidential Grey. That is exactly what I drank last year.
 
I see you can still tell the difference between 'or' and 'and', but you're starting to slur words like 'coincidental'.
 
I feel a bit better now. I'd say I drink very close to 120 bottles of wine a year. I had thought that would have been a fair bit above average.
 
Only at weekends when he is rejected by his peers in tipping competitions, Colin. I passed through Drumcondra today and the was a 40ft Diagio delivery truck outside Tesco.
 
Originally posted by Melendez@Nov 20 2007, 11:45 AM
I feel a bit better now. I'd say I drink very close to 120 bottles of wine a year. I had thought that would have been a fair bit above average.
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Oh c'mon, that's less than 3 bottles* a week isn't it? ie fewer than 2 glasses a day
Hardly indicative of alcoholism :what:
In my heyday I could put that* away in a night, no trouble
 
Originally posted by an capall@Nov 20 2007, 04:14 PM
I passed through Drumcondra today and the was a 40ft Diagio delivery truck outside Tesco.
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You only know about that truck because you were tailing it.
 
Originally posted by Headstrong+Nov 20 2007, 11:46 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Headstrong @ Nov 20 2007, 11:46 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Melendez@Nov 20 2007, 11:45 AM
I feel a bit better now. I'd say I drink very close to 120 bottles of wine a year. I had thought that would have been a fair bit above average.
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Oh c'mon, that's less than 3 bottles* a week isn't it? ie fewer than 2 glasses a day
Hardly indicative of alcoholism :what:
In my heyday I could put that* away in a night, no trouble [/b][/quote]
Yeah Sara we could do that little bit in a feckin hour while at the same time milking a bleeding rat :laughing:
 
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