Research from Alcohol Action Ireland, a national charity, has found that the Irish are one of the highest consumers of alcohol in the European Union. In fact, drinkers in Ireland imbibe 20% more than the average European.
Further research from the Journal of Substance Use reveals that almost half of Irish adult men engage in an episode of binge drinking at least once a week, compared to only 9% in Germany and 8% in France.
As well as being high in total consumption, Irish drinkers are also quite likely to progress from having a casual tipple to full blown alcoholism.
We examine some of the reasons why the Irish love drinking.
