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In Ireland, 1.35 million Irish people between the ages of 18 and 75 are considered harmful drinkers. Over one hundred and fifty thousand Irish people between the ages of 18 and 75 are classified as ‘dependent drinkers’. Alcohol plays a large role in Irish culture. It is both an economic market for many Irish people and a key facilitator for social interactions (SOURCE). Alcohol Abuse is a major issue in Ireland, with Ireland having the second highest pure alcohol consumption in Europe and binge drinking being considered the norm in Ireland, with over 58% of men partaking in the activity, and a third of all women. Alcohol abuse has extensive issues on Irish medical services and alcoholism is implicated in at least three deaths a day in Ireland.

Reasons for excessive alcohol consumption in Ireland are varied. It is not possible to attribute one single cause to alcohol abuse, however historically the influence of the Catholic Church, English Colonialism and poor weather have been examined as reasons for excessive alcohol consumption.



Historical Context
Historically, alcohol abuse has been a problem in Ireland for an extensive amount of time. The first Alcoholics anonymous was established in 1940 in Dublin (WALSH), and there are now over 864 meeting groups around the country. In 1945, the Mental Treatment Act was established, which gave formal recognition to the problem of alcoholism. The Mental Treatment act introduced two new procedures for the involuntary admission of alcoholics to hospital, even though they believed they didn’t have a mental illness in a formal sense. The first procedure was that a patient must be examined by a health-professional within 24 hours of an application and if they did need to be admitted, they would be examined by the district’s mental hospital’s medical officer. They would then be admitted for an indefinite period. The second procedure enabled the detainment of a ‘temporary patient’, who could be in hospital for up to six months. This act acknowledge the challenges of people voluntarily accepting treatment for alcohol abuse, and tried to provide a solution.

Catholicism is also viewed as a large reason for excessive alcohol consumption in Ireland. It’s believed that the Catholic Church and English Colonial settlement has had a major impact on Irish drinking patterns. The Church also played a large role in attempting to suppress and contain alcohol consumption throughout Irish history.

It is also believed that the towns with the highest alcohol consumption were historically closest to brewing and distilling locations, as the cost of alcohol transportation was historically dependent on the distance from the local brewery.

However, since 2000 the rates of alcohol consumption are declining across Ireland.

Social Issues
In Ireland, alcohol is implicated in a variety of social issues. The consumption of alcohol is a cultural norm, that is believed to have developed through religious norms of the society. Alcohol consumption in Ireland is considered a vital part of social interactions and social life.

Alcohol is considered by the Irish government as a significant factor that contributes to cases of child neglect, and parental drinking and alcohol abuse is identified as a key child welfare issue. Many assaults, including sexual assaults, rape, domestic violence and manslaughter are found to be linked with alcohol consumption.

Children are particularly affected by alcohol abuse in Ireland. Children with parents who engaged in regular risky drinking, defined by the survey as people who drank more than 75 grams of alcohol per month, were most likely to be harmed. 11.2% of children with parents who excessively drink alcohol reported being verbally abused.

Nearly 7% of children of parents who consumed alcohol had been left in an unsafe situation, with 3.4% physically abused and 5.5% witnessing violence.

Over 10% of the children interviewed experienced various harms as a result of someone else’s drinking.

Alcohol is a major factor in affecting civil order and policing. In the majority of public order offences, alcohol is implicated.

The biggest social issue that alcohol abuse contributes to, is physical assault. For 1 in 5 men aged between 18 and 29, they have experienced a physical assault where alcohol was a factor. Alcohol also contributes to many social problems, like family issues. 20.8% of women aged 18-29 report family problems related to alcohol.

A survey done by the Irish Health Research Board showed that people aged between 18-29 were most likely to experience harm as a result of alcohol, while people aged over 50 were least likely to report problems.

Alcohol related harm in the workplace is listed as a major issue in Ireland, with many young people reporting the negative consequences experienced in the workplace as a consequence of their co-workers heavy dependence on alcohol. Many people report that their ability to do their job was affected by a co-workers drinking, with 15% of women, and 8% of men aged 18-34 reporting this as an issue.

Economic Benefits of the Alcohol Industry
Paragraph on economic role of alcohol

Health Issues
Alcohol-related harm contributes to many health issues in Ireland. Approximately every day in Ireland, three people die from alcohol related causes. A quarter of all deaths of young men between aged 15-39 is a consequence of alcohol related harm. More than 1.35 million Irish people are engaging in harmful drinking activities, and over 30% say they experience harm as a result of their own drinking. A study carried out between 1997-2010 found that there were around 3289 acute alcohol admissions to hospitals. Of those admissions, 43.6% of people were under 30 years of age and over 10% of patients were under 18 years of age.

A taskforce was established in Ireland, which showed that between 1989-1999, the average consumption of alcohol per capita increased by 41% in Ireland. The increase in consumption was linked to increased affluence, a decline in alcohol taxes and greater access to alcohol due to longer opening hours in stores. The National Health and Lifestyle surveys found that young people drank less often than older age groups, but were more likely to engage in binge drinking when they did. This resulted in more risky alcohol consumption in younger age groups, and more dangerous alcohol consumption among women than men in Ireland.

Binge drinking is considered the norm in Ireland, with over 58% of drinking occasions resulting in Binge drinking. Current research shows that a large number of attendees at the accident or emergency departments in Ireland are linked to excessive consumption of alcohol. Furthermore, many studies are finding that high alcohol consumption per capita is associated with specific alcohol related health outcomes like oral cancer, and liver disease.

Support services
There are many services available to people suffering from alcohol abuse in Ireland. Both private and public health offer support to those suffering substance addiction issues.

Al-anon is a service that provides support and assistance for families and friends of people with drinking issues in an anonymous situation. It caters for parents, children, wives and friends. Al-anon also has a sector for teenagers and people aged 12-17 suffering from problematic drinking habits or dealing with people suffering alcohol abuse.

Alcoholics Anonymous is also well-established in Ireland. They offer support to anyone suffering because of their drinking. The service works on a mutual support basis, where fellowships and groups work together to help members become sober and stay sober. The initiative does not have membership fees.

Various charities exist in Ireland aimed at combatting alcohol-related harm and alcohol abuse. The Alcohol Forum is one of these charities. The charity is based in North West Ireland and aims to reduce alcohol consumption levels by mobilising the community and prompting the community to take action on alcohol-related issues. Additionally, the Irish Bishops Drugs Initiative aims to mobilise communities to respond to alcohol and drug issues. They do this through peer education, a confirmation programme and parental awareness program.

In Ireland’s capital, Dublin, there are other specific services aimed at helping individuals. SASSY is a service that provides aid and support to young people under 18 years of age who are suffering as a result of drug or alcohol use. The Youth Drug and Alcohol Service is based in Dublin and provides assistance and treatment to those under 18 years of age who are having problems related to drug or alcohol use.

Local mental health services are also available to people suffering mental illness and alcoholism who can then refer people to specialist addiction services if necessary. Addiction counselling is provided in Ireland to those who require it, as well as detoxficiation which aims to remove the physical craving for alcohol that is a symptom of alcohol addiction. Detoxification takes place under the supervision of a GP and often requires a dose of strong anti-anxiety drugs to ease the effects of alcohol withdrawal. In other cases, medication can be prescribed to help the initial stages of treatment.

Residential programmes exist to remove an individual from their usual environment and all sources of alcohol while they try and deal with their alcohol abuse issues. Other group meetings are run independently of the Health Service Executive which provide support those many people affected by problematic drinking.

Private treatment services for alcohol addiction exist and also provide similar support to that offered by the Health Service Executive. Private treatment is not free of charge, and costs depend on the programme.

The alcohol addiction services run by Local Health Offices are public services, and therefore do not cost money to patients seeking assistance. For some residential programmes, costs can be incurred. In many cases, private health insurance or a medical card may cover stays in selected drug treatment centres.

Success of these various treatments generally requires counselling treatments to understand the addiction, and change their behaviour patterns. General practitioner’s generally advise on the most suitable treatment.

https://www.drinkaware.ie/support-services

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A list of sources I want to use:

Collier, R. (2011, September 6). Alcohol-related Deaths in Ireland. Canadian Medical Association Journal, p. N/A. .

Nkire, N., Udoh, G., Elahi, M., Cotter, D., & MacHale, S. (2014). Screening and Recording of Patients' Alcohol use habit by Clinicians in a Tertiary accident and emergency unit in Ireland. N/A: Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research.

O'Farrell, A., Allwright, S., Downey, J., Bedford, D., & Howell, F. (2004). The burden of alcohol misuse on emergency in-patient hospital admission among residents from a health board region in Ireland. Addiction, 1279-1285.

Profile, M. I. (2014). Alcoholic Drinks in Ireland. N/A: MarketLine Industry Profile.

Walsh, D. (1975, June ). Alcoholism in Ireland Today. Irish Journal of Medical Science - supplement, pp. 58- 65.