Impact of binge drinking 'must be understood'

Impact of binge drinking 'must be understood'

Action must be taken to educate people about the dangers of binge drinking and its effect on their lives, according to Drink Aware.

Chris Sorek, chief executive of the public body, said that until further information is distributed on the impact that binge drinking can have on a person's health, safety and relationships things will not improve.

"Binge drinking, whether visible on the streets or behind closed doors at home has a financial, social and emotional impact on everyone, if they drink alcohol or not, and needs to be urgently addressed," he said.

Mr Sorek described binge drinking as "one of the biggest blights on today's society".

Figures from the European Commission's Eurobarometer survey released last month show that Ireland is among the worst countries on the continent for binge drinking.

Around 20 per cent of those polled said that they drink on average five or more drinks in each sitting, which is far higher than the Europe-wide average of six per cent.

People in Ireland were shown to understand the risks of binge drinking, with 88 per cent stating they were aware of the increased risk of heart disease.