bBinge drinking in Ireland
Binge drinking is becoming a large part of Irish
culture. As a nation, we take pride
in our tourist industry. However, we are
becoming more known for our excessive drinking habits. This is obviously not
good for our economy and can only lead to worse things to come. Do we really
want to be known as a nation of drunks?
The concept of binge drinking is not fully
understood by many. Some believe it to be “drinking loads” while others seem to
understand it a little more clearly by describing it as “drinking to get drunk”
and “drinking a large amount in a small space”. Dublin City along with the rest
of Ireland has become a kind of binge drinking central for youths at the
weekends. Many people come over every weekend from Britain with their primary
objective to drink as much as possible. And do you ever wonder why there is no
24 hour drink licence or happy hours here? Well let’s just say there would be
dyer consequences if these opportunities arose.
We clearly do not understand the dangers of binge
drinking.
Alcohol abuse has become Europe’s
‘third biggest killer’. Heavy drinking is also the cause in 16% of
child abuse and neglect throughout Europe. And the problems are getting worse,
as 55 million people regularly drinking dangerous amounts of alcohol while 23
million are alcoholics.
Drinking is also a huge problem among
people under the age over 18. Underage drinking is certainly getting worse in
Ireland with young teenagers starting to drink from the age of 13. There is a
strong possibility that underage drinking could possibly leads to strong binge
drinking habits later in life. The whole aspect of getting caught during
underage drinking leads to quicker drinking habits. Possible skills could be
gained from drinking really quickly which one could carry into adulthood.
Binge drinking also hits the bank balance
hard. A lot of students in Ireland would have part time jobs where the majority
of their wages would be spent on drink at the weekend. Many students nowadays
would take pride over how much booze they are able to consume. However, at the
weekend, bars in Dublin and other towns and cities throughout Ireland will
charge a lot of money for drinks. Pints can be priced at 5 or 6 euro sometimes.
This truly is extortion. And the fact that people pay these amounts enforces
the idea that we have a serious problem in Binge drinking.