Binge drinking is no longer just the scourge of the UK, but is becoming a Europe-wide issue among teens and those in their early twenties, it has emerged. A 2007 study showed that topping the list of excessive drinkers were the Irish, followed by Finland, Britain, Denmark and Sweden.
Enquiry into Binge Drinking
The European Commission questioned 25,000 people from across Europe to compile their results and they found that 34% of Irish drinkers binge drink on a regular basis, followed by 27% of Finns and 24% of Brits.
The survey found that 73% of those questioned would welcome a lower blood-alcohol limit for young and learner drivers to prevent drink-related accidents on the roads.
Markos Kyprianou, the former EU Health Commissioner, said: "I am deeply concerned about the data showing that one in five young Europeans regularly binge drink. It is clear from this survey that EU citizens support measures to protect specific groups in society, such as pregnant women, drivers and young people, from the harmful effects of alcohol abuse and misuse."
The countries with the lowest instance of binge drinking were those in southern Europe, including Bulgaria, where only 1% admitted to drinking heavily on a regular basis. This is followed by 2% of Italians and Greeks, and 4% of Portuguese.
The EC also reported, however, that increasing the price of alcohol by as much as a quarter would not deter drinkers from continuing to binge, and this is something that has come into evidence of late as even though the credit crunch has affected booze prices, drinking is on the rise in some hard-hit European countries.
Credit Crunch Brings Ill-Health
The Britain Under Pressure Report found that people have begun drinking more since the credit crisis, with 7% of saying they now drink more than before the crunch, and 9% of those questioned believe they will consume more in the next six months.
As well as drinking more, the UK's Blood Pressure Association and Friends Provident report that more and more families are cancelling gym memberships, more people attribute their smoking habit to their financial worries, and the sales of cheaper, yet more sugary foods are higher than healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables. The combination of all these factors, says the BPA, will be a surge in the nation's blood pressure and a deterioration of their general health.
Head of Protection at Friends Provident, Mark Jones, predicts serious consequences:
"The credit crunch appears to be having serious ramifications. Lifestyle changes – poor diet and lack of exercise in particular – can have a negative effect on their blood pressure and consequently their long-term health."