REVEALED: Ireland's drinking habits uncovered as Christmas parties hit full flow
44% believe the Government should not interfere in how alcohol is priced
With the festive season in full flow, Christmas parties and other social occasions will be raising a toast to celebrate the holidays.
Irish social gatherings so often see alcohol take a central role in meeting with friends and family, and concerns over the impact of drinking have been growing for some time.
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Proposals to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol in shops have gained a great deal of traction in recent years, with plans already in place to introduce such measures in Ireland.
To discover more about Irish people’s alcohol consumption, iReach conducted a nationally representative survey of 1,001 people. 91% of respondents have consumed alcohol at some point in their lives.
Of those who have consumed alcohol, more than half (59%) began drinking before they were 18-years-old. This number is higher among males at 64% compared to 55% of females.
It is also interesting to note a generational difference here, with only 34% of those aged 55+ consuming alcohol before 18 almost doubling to 61% among 35-55-year olds and increasing again up to an enormous 70% of those aged 18-34.
The top cited reasons for drinking alcohol were listed as curiosity (50%), cultural normalisation (33%) and peer pressure (27%), with fear of missing out (18%) and accessibility (13%) completing the top five.
Additionally, 36% of those who have consumed alcohol binge drink, with binge drinking more prevalent among males (41%) than females (32%). 66% of respondents think that their alcohol consumption is of a normal level.
Only 20% say that the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol in shops would make them buy less alcohol, with 44% believing that the Government should not interfere with the pricing of alcohol.