There were 7,549 cases of people being treated for problem alcohol use in 2013 — a drop of 12.3% since 2011 and the second year in a row in which the figures fell.
The report, published by the Health Research Board (HRB), also reveals that the number of new cases presenting for treatment for the first time fell by 11.2%, from 4,028 in 2012, to 3,578 in 2013. The number of people returning to treatment fell by 9.8%, from 4,212 in 2012, to 3,801 in 2013.
The figures show that men and people under the age of 40 are more likely to present for treatment due to problem drinking, while there is also a significant minority of those seeking treatment who are homeless.
The figures also list the counties where the numbers presenting for treatment were highest between 2009 and 2013: Waterford, Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, and Carlow.
All of those counties had more than 240 cases per 100,000 of the population aged 15 to 64 years.
By contrast, the counties with the lowest number of cases in the same period were Roscommon, Clare, Mayo, Meath, and Limerick, all with less than 75 cases per 100,000 of the population aged 15 to 64 years.
Source: Noel Baker, Irish Examiner, 10/06/15
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