Rates of chronic alcohol use have jumped over the last five years, official figures show.
This has come at a time when the number of people seeking treatment who are unemployed has also risen sharply.
A report by the Health Research Board also discovered that opposite ends of the country report by far the highest level of alcohol abuse — with rates in the south-east and north-west as many as three times higher than the national average.
The HRB study found that 40,000 cases were treated for problem alcohol use between 2008 and 2012: increasing from 7,940 in 2008 to a height of 8,604 in 2011, before dropping to 8,336 in 2012. A breakdown of the figures show:
- New cases increased from 3,833 in 2008 to 4,520 in 2011, falling to 4,028 in 2012;
- Previously treated cases — reflecting continuing chronic usage — rose by 17%, from 3,606 in 2008 to 4,212 in 2012 (3,971 in 2011);
- Incidence of alcohol abuse — the number of new cases in a population — rose nationally from 120 per 100,000 people in 2008 to 141 in 2011, dropping to 125 in 2012;
- Prevalence of alcohol abuse — the proportion of a population with the problem — increased from 248 per 100,000 in 2008 to 270 in 2011, falling slightly to 261 in 2012.
“The decrease between 2011 and 2012 reflects a fall in the number of new cases presenting for the first time,” said HRB lead researcher Suzi Lyons.
“However, there was an increase in the number of cases returning for treatment which reflects a growth in the number of cases with chronic alcohol use problems.”
The report provides a breakdown on incidence rates across the country, revealing big differences.
Source: Corrmac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 02/04/14
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