Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Irish spend three times EU average on alcohol

Irish people spend almost three and a half times more of their income on alcohol than the European average, an EU-wide survey reveals.

A study on household expenditure across the 27 EU member states highlights how Irish consumers are the biggest spenders in Europe on alcohol by a long distance.

It estimates that more than €4 out of every €100 spent in Ireland is on alcohol compared with the EU average of just €1.20.

The survey, by the EU statistical office, Eurostat, shows that the average Irish household spends 4.1% of its budget on alcohol — well ahead of the nation with the next highest expenditure on booze — Romania at just 2.3%.

The figures are based on 2005 spending patterns, the latest year for which comparative statistics are available.

Health Services Executive public health specialist, Dr Joe Barry, expressed surprise that Irish spending on alcoholic drinks as a percentage of total expenditure was not even higher. The figures look at expenditure by household rather than by adults.

“However, the figures are consistent with other findings that alcohol consumption levels in the Republic are about 30% higher than the EU average,” said Dr Barry.

He pointed out that a survey of Irish third-level students a few years ago showed they spent more on alcohol than food. Dr Barry expressed concern that a strategy to reduce Ireland’s drink culture and associated problems was still not being implemented.

However, the findings indicate that overall spending on alcohol in Ireland is falling as expenditure on alcohol represented 5.5% of total household spend in 2001.

They also show that Irish people spend almost 18% of their budget on food, drink and tobacco and 30.6% on housing. Irish consumers also spend less on groceries, clothing and footwear, housing, health and transport than their European counterparts.

The survey provides evidence that Ireland is one of the EU’s richest economies as we spend more of our income on recreation, leisure, and education than most Europeans. We spend 6% of our income on restaurants and 4.4% on health and education.
__________
source: Irish Examiner

More Treatment & Detox Articles

How many alcoholics who get help stay sober?

It’s hard to say. Data on the effectiveness of treatment programs is scarce, but Idaho has just started to track some patients. Reliable information is practically nonexistent on whether alcoholics who go through treatment stay off alcohol in the long run, says Patrick Neeser, coordinator of a Boise outpatient treatment center. “There’s very few long-term….

Harsh truths about your alcohol intake

This summer has been another wet one. With all the rain it’s enough to drive you to drink! Most of us enjoy a tipple now and again, but do we really know how much is safe and when to stop? Am I better off having an occasional pint or should I cut it out altogether?….

Low vitamin D heightens breast-cancer mortality rate

Disease twice as likely to spread in women deficient in the nutrient, study finds Women diagnosed with breast cancer are nearly twice as likely to have the disease spread to other parts of their bodies and are 73 per cent more likely to die from it if they have low levels of vitamin D, according….

Underage drinking leads to tragedy

It’s sad to have to report the death of a teenager due to alcohol. By now, most local residents have heard the tragic story of 18-year-old Francisco Martinez, whose life was snuffed out just 20 minutes into the new year when he was hit by a car on a rural road. According to reports, the….

10 Consequences of Cocaine Abuse

cocaine addiction effects and consequences

About Cocaine According to the Center for Substance Abuse Research, cocaine is a highly addictive and a commonly abused illegal drug. Cocaine is a stimulant, and is currently a Schedule II substance. Stimulant drugs heighten a user’s body’s activity, including increasing their energy, alertness, heart rate, and blood pressure. The most commonly used form of….