A vast majority of men in Ireland are drinking in ways which damages their health, figures show.
As Men’s Health Week 2011 gets underway, figures show that seven in ten men are drinking to harmful levels. Men also drink more often than their female counterparts – with 45% of men reporting drinking two to three times in the previous week compared to 29% of women.
Alcohol Action Ireland, the nation charity for alcohol-related issues, has this week launched a new leaflet asking men to look at their drinking and put in place a few easy tips to help cut down.
The ‘Men and Alcohol: Making the Drink Link’ is the latest leaflet from Alcohol Action Ireland which aims to provide information, help, advice and support to people who may be affected by either their own or a loved one’s problem drinking. Other leaflets include:
- Women & alcohol: Making the drink link
- Is drinking affecting your family?
- Alcohol&Getting Older: Aging Well?
Alcohol Action Ireland has also recently launched an on-line directory of alcohol services nationwide. The Alcohol Service Finder provides people looking for help with a list of alcohol supports and services in their area. Go to www.alcoholireland.ie for more information, or visit www.drinkhelp.ie or www.alcoholhelp.ie.
Dr Joe Barry of Trinity College Dublin and board member of Alcohol Action Ireland said: “Men in Ireland drink at levels and in ways that are bad for their health and lifestyle.
“Anyone who plays sport knows that alcohol is bad for your performance on and off the pitch. Men also tend to ignore health issues until those issues become real problems. This leaflet is about asking men to take a look at their drinking and, if needed, put in place a few easy steps to help cut down.”
Men and Alcohol – the facts
- Seven in ten men in Ireland who drink are drinking in a way which is already causing damage to their health
- Men drink more often than women, with 45% of men reporting drinking 2-3 times in the previous week compared to 29% women
- One in ten cancers in men is caused by alcohol
- The link between alcohol and suicide has been well established – four times the number of men as women die by suicide
- One in four deaths of young men aged 15-34 is due to alcohol
- One in five men aged 18-23 said they had been pushed, hit or assaulted in the past year as a result of some-one else’s drinking
- Men are advised to drink no more than 21 standard drinks a week – the equivalent of roughly ten pints of regular beer – with no more than three standard drinks a day
The new leaflet will be available to download and order from the Alcohol Action Ireland website in the coming days.
