Two thirds of Irish students are drinking hazardous amounts of alcohol on a weekly basis, according to a new study carried out by UCC.
Although we all indulged in a few student nights out in college, it seems Irish drinking habits are going to new extremes, with alarming new statistics matching women and men’s drinking consumption.
Responding to a questionnaire on UCC campus, 2,275 undergraduates identified dangerous drinking habits, with 65.2 per cent of men and 67.3 per cent of women saying that they engaged in unsafe alcohol consumption.
According to The Irish Times, the study found that the heavy nights were not just affecting liver health, with findings from the study showing “hazardous alcohol consumption drastically increased the possibility of adverse consequence, including missing days from university and so affecting their academic performance.
“The pattern and frequency of adverse consequences of alcohol consumption was broadly similar in men and women, though men were more likely to report getting into a fight or to have a ‘one-night stand’.”
Led by UCC researcher Martin Davoren, the PhD candidate told The Irish Times that the study shows a significant change to attitudes by female students in the study:
“A decade ago the college lifestyle and attitudinal national survey noted males were drinking more than their female counterparts. We are now seeing women drinking as much as men.
“This finding is yet another signpost that our relationship with alcohol as a nation is unwholesome and detrimental to health. It impacts on us all and these findings should not be seen as merely a young person, student or UCC issue.”
Davoren added that relationship between alcohol and its promotion must also be managed to control the drinking patterns of students:
“Currently the State is at a decision point with regard to policies on the promotion of sports sponsorship and this study highlights the need for effective public-policy measures such as a minimum unit price for alcohol and a full ban on sports sponsorship.”
