An O-E-C-D study has exposed the depths of Ireland’s apparent glut of binge drinkers and its prominence in global binge drinking levels.
The study of 33 ‘wealthy’ countries, how the Irish rank eighth in the world for ‘heavy episodic drinking.’
A quarter of Irish people get drunk at least once a month. A person who has more than six drinks on the same day, at least once a month, is classified as a binge drinker.
The OECD said: ‘Unhealthy lifestyles and poor environments cause millions of people to die prematurely. Smoking, harmful alcohol use, physical inactivity and obesity are the root cause of many conditions.’
Romania topped the list, with 36% of its population having six or more drinks when binge drinking.
Nearly a fifth of adults across the countries surveyed reported heavy episodic drinking at least once a month, on average.
Obesity rates continue to rise in most OECD countries, with 54% of adults overweight or obese, and 18% obese on average.
The OECD said that healthy diet and physical activity are critical, yet on average only 15% of adults consumed five or more portions of fruit and vegetables per day, and only 40% performed at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per week.
While daily smoking rates continue to fall in most OECD countries, on average 16% of people aged 15 and over still smoke daily and regular use of e-cigarette products (vaping) is on the rise.
Premature deaths from ambient (outdoor) air pollution have declined by 31% on average between 2000 and 2019, but still cause an estimated 29 deaths per 100,000 people on average.
