Alcohol Abuse Essay

Alcohol use and abuse is a well-­‐documented issue in contemporary Ireland.
In
fact, when we look at our nation’s historical identity, it is tied to our culture so intrinsically that it springs to mind like the Catholic
Church,
British
Rule
and rebellion. The modern landscape however, is one in which action is being demanded, as the health risks and costs become apparent and publicised. In this report
I
intend to take a look at alcohol abuse, its use in
Ireland;
the burden it places on society; its use amongst
UCC
students in particular; and the steps being taken locally and nationally to address it. Risks and complications.

To gain a context from which to base this report, I took some useful definitions from Mongan et al1.
One
standard drink (SD) contains 10 grams of pure alcohol and recommended weekly limits amount to
21
SDs in males and 14
SDs
in women. The report refers to “binge drinking” as consuming seven or more
SD
per occasion in men and five or more for women. The report describes an individual as “alcohol dependent” if they experience three or more of the following:

-­‐ a strong desire or compulsion to consume alcoho... ... middle of paper ...

... made by raising alcohol duties, restricting off trade, implementing alcohol education within the existing 2nd level curricula, funding of action groups and commissioning of reports.
International
best practice suggests an introduction of MUP.
However,
despite plans to introduce this, the legislation has not yet been introduced. It is clear that alcohol use needs to be controlled, as the effects are wide-­‐ranging and predominantly negative. However, as the weight of research and opinion continues to build, the problem has at least been identified and will surely be addressed effectively in
time.