Alcohol-related deaths from cancer among Irish women are now at 37%, which is 6% higher than the European average of 31%.
Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) released new results today showing that Irish women are now drinking more alcohol more often than any previous generation before their time.
AAI’s head of policy and public affairs, Catherine Keane, said the organisation is using International Women’s Day to encourage women to be informed about drinking and their decisions about alcohol in a bid to curb potentially dangerous habits.
“While women are being bombarded with messages about how wonderful wine is or are being invited to take part in events like a ‘Bottomless Prosecco Brunch’, there is no mention of the other, very real side of alcohol consumption for female drinkers.” She said in a statement released today by the AAI.
The over-consumption of alcohol can have negative effects on both physical and mental health, something which the AAI wants to bring to light, as well as one in eight breast cancer cases inIreland being associated with alcohol consumption.
The AAI stated that women’s bodies’ process alcohol differently resulting in higher concentrations of alcohol in their blood when drinking equal amounts of alcohol to men.
Women tend to have lower body weights, less body water and higher percentages of body fat than men – meaning they don’t process alcohol as efficiently as men.
In a statement, they organisation said that Irish people need to realise that alcohol is a depressant and as well as lowering your mood during and after you drink, it can also make it harder to cope with day-to-day stresses and problems.
Survey results released by the Health Research Board found that one in 10 Irish women consumed more than the recommended weekly guidelines in a single day. The reported measure was highest in the 18 to 24 years age group, with one-in-five (22.5%) young women drinking more than the weekly guidelines in a single day.