The survey found that most Irish adults drink alcohol, though older females were more likely to abstain. According to the AUDIT-C screening tool, over half of drinkers consumed alcohol in a harmful manner. Younger people, especially males aged 18-24, were more likely to binge drink and experience alcohol-related harms from their own and others' drinking. The study provides current prevalence rates on drinking behaviors in Ireland consistent with previous research.

1. Alcohol results from the NACD
2010/11 Drug Prevalence Survey
Dr Deirdre Mongan

2. Objective
Obtain reliable prevalence rates on:
– Frequency and volume of drinking
– Harmful drinking patterns
– Harm from own drinking
– Harm from others’ drinking

3. Methodology
• Representative sample 4,843 respondents aged
18-64 years
• Fieldwork Oct 2010 – June 2011
• Response rate – 60%
• Demographics – gender, age, education, marital
status and social class

4. Frequency of drinking
• 87% (89% males, 85% females) were current drinkers
– Highest among females aged 18-24 years (94%)
– Lowest among females aged 50-64 years (79%)
• 31% of men and 21% of women consumed alcohol at
least twice weekly

5. Volume of drinking
• 24% consumed 1-2 standard drinks/drinking occasion
– Most common among adults aged 50-64 years (34%)
• 27% consumed 7+ standard drinks/drinking occasion
– Highest among males 18-24 years (60%) and 25-34 years (48%)

6. Harmful drinking patterns
• Risky Single Occasion Drinking (binge drinking)
• AUDIT-C screening tool
• RAPS – used to screen for dependence

7. Risky Single Occasion Drinking (RSOD)
• 45% of adults aged 18-64 engaged in RSOD at least
once per month in the year prior to the survey
• This corresponds to 52% of drinkers
– 64% of male drinkers
– 39% of female drinkers
• RSOD was most common among 18-24-year-olds (72%)

8. AUDIT-C screening tool
• 50% of adults aged 18-64 scored positive for harmful
drinking using the AUDIT-C screening tool
• This corresponds to 58% of drinkers
– 71% of male drinkers
– 44% of female drinkers

9. AUDIT-C: gender and age
75
62
54
48
82
76
67 65
68
48
40
29
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
18–24 25–34 35–49 50–64
%
Age group
All
Males
Females

10. RAPS screening tool
• 23% reported feelings of guilt or remorse
• 24% reported that friends/family told them about things
they said/did that they did not remember
• 12% reported that they failed to do what was normally
expected
• 2% reported that they needed a first drink in the morning
• Two or more positive scores (18%)
– 23% males, 14% females
• Three or more positive scores (7%)

11. RAPS screening tool: gender and age
43
23
11
7
47
31
15
11
40
16
8
3
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
18–24 25–34 35–49 50–64
%
Age group
All
Males
Females

12. Alcohol consumption by demographics
• Education and social class did not predict harmful
drinking patterns
• Single drinkers were more likely to drink in a harmful
manner than married drinkers of the same age
– 75% of single drinkers aged 18-34 years had a positive AUDIT-C
score compared with 54% of married/cohabiting drinkers of the
same age

13. Harm from own drinking
Six harms – harm to health, home life, work, friendships,
being involved in an accident or fight
• 20% experienced at least one of these harms as a result
of their drinking
– 26% males, 14% females
• 13% reported harm to health
– Most common among those aged 18-24 years (24%)
• Males aged 18-24 years were most likely to have been in
a fight (24%) or an accident (11%)

14. Harm from others’ drinking
Five harms – family and money problems, being assaulted,
being a passenger with a drunk driver, property vandalised
• 27% experienced harm as a result of someone else’s
drinking
• 14% reported family problems
– Most common among females aged 25-34 years (19%) and males
and females aged 18-24 years (18%)

15. Summary
• Most adults aged 18-64 years consumed alcohol with
older females most likely to abstain from alcohol
• According to the AUDIT-C screening tool the majority
of drinkers consumed alcohol in a harmful manner,
which is consistent with previous research
• Harmful drinking patterns were most common among
those aged 18-24 years
• Males were most likely to experience alcohol-related
harm from their and others’ drinking