Sorry Ireland but we’ve got bad news for you, as you’re no longer the heaviest drinking nation in Europe.
And it gets worse – not only has the nation been knocked off the top spot but it’s now only just above average apparently. Ouch!
According to statistics compiled by the European Commission, the nation – which is known to like a drink – went from being number one to being twelfth on the list between 2000 and 2014, with Lithuania replacing it at the top.
Figures show Ireland experienced the steepest drop in alcohol consumption – 23.6 per cent – based on data for 27 countries.
In the early 2000’s the average person was drinking more than 14 litres of pure alcohol a year, now it is 10.6 litres.
However, Alcohol Action Ireland is still worried about the nation’s drinking habits.
Eunan McKinney, their spokesperson told The Sunday Times:
We drink twice as much as global norms, and that, mixed with a cultural normalisation that disregards its impact, has fuelled our national crisis with alcohol.
If Ireland were to follow the low-risk guidelines on alcohol consumption, 11 standard drinks for women and 17 for men, our target would be seven litres.
A recent Public Health Bill aims to get this number even lower to 9.1 litres per person which will make Ireland one of the lowest alcohol consumers in the EU.
This figure will still be much higher than the global average though, which is just six litres per person.
But don’t worry Ireland, you’re still outperforming the UK at the moment.
