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About this sample
About this sample
Words: 470 |
Page: 1|
3 min read
Updated: 16 November, 2024
Words: 470|Page: 1|3 min read
Updated: 16 November, 2024
The consumption of alcohol in Ireland is a concern to public health and a leading cause of national suffering. Of explicit concern are the social effects and health issues correlated with its use. Ireland has a unique relationship with alcohol, with consumption per capita being sixth highest among 36 Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development countries, as well as being a considerable amount higher than that of the USA and UK (OECD, 2019).
In 2012, a study took place at University College Cork to investigate the widespread presence of hazardous alcohol consumption among students in university. This study reported that only 8.4% of men and 5.8% of women did not drink. It also highlighted the prevalence of hazardous alcohol consumption of 66.4%, with more than a quarter of these hazardous drinkers consuming more than six units of alcohol at least 2–3 times per week (O'Reilly et al., 2012). This poses a serious threat to the health of Irish students in university and creates both long-term and short-term risks to mental, physical, and social health and well-being. Furthermore, the normalization of such drinking habits among the youth suggests a cultural acceptance that exacerbates the problem.
The findings from this study emphasize the need for more adverse measures of public policy in response to this issue, such as a raise in the unit price for alcohol and rethinking permission for sports sponsorship by companies that produce alcoholic beverages (Health Research Board, 2018). Between 1995 and 2004, 28% of all attendances to the Accidents and Emergency departments all over Ireland were alcohol-related (Hope, 2008). This figure portrays the damage that alcohol can do to people's health in the short term, and not just long term. The long-term effects of the consumption of alcohol can be causally related to various forms of cancer such as cancer in the oesophagus, colon, head and neck, rectum, and liver (World Health Organization, 2014).
A nationwide study of young adults, between the ages of 18 and 45, on Irish contraception and crisis pregnancy showed that 45% of men and 26% of women agreed that drinking alcohol had contributed to them taking part in sexual activities without using contraception, which may lead to unplanned pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases (Crisis Pregnancy Programme, 2010). The social ramifications of alcohol abuse extend beyond personal health, affecting families and communities and contributing to a cycle of poverty and health disparities.
The overuse of alcohol in Ireland is a national concern as it can cause serious health problems in many different ways, be it through accidents that occur due to people under the influence of alcohol, the physical, mental, and social effects which may have serious consequences, or through unplanned and unprotected sex, leading to STDs. As well as costing the health of thousands of Irish people every year, the abuse of alcohol costs the HSE millions (Department of Health, 2019). Binge drinking, apart from any long-term effects, can increase impulsivity, reduce inhibition, and distort behavior, which may lead to acute consequences such as accidents, assaults, or suicide (Mongan et al., 2016). There is a pressing need to introduce strategies that will reduce the harmful use of alcohol in Ireland and, by extension, the health and social harms it causes.
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