IRISH women are drinking an average of three alcoholic beverages on a daily basis, according to researchers.
A new global study shows that females in Ireland now rank seventh in the world for the amount of alcohol they drink day to day.
And for the first time, Irish women now rank higher than Irish men in the alcohol consumption league table.
Men in Ireland have around four-and-a-half beverages a day but do not make it into the top 10 list for male drinkers globally.
Researchers at the University of Washington also found that alcohol caused the deaths of some 2.8 million people in 2016 – including 12% of all deaths in males aged 15-49.
1 in 3 people globally drink #alcohol – equivalent to 2.4 billion people. However, the number of people who drink alcohol and how much they drink varies globally pic.twitter.com/6V14m3rXin
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) August 23, 2018
Their report, published in the Lancet Medical Journal, warns that women may think having one glass of wine isn't harmful – but they are actually pouring themselves three measures.
They also found that just one drink a day can slightly increase the chances of contracting 23 alcohol-related health problems.
"The health risks associated with alcohol are massive," said the report's senior author Dr Emmanuela Gakidou.
"Our findings are consistent with other recent research, which found clear and convincing correlations between drinking and premature death, cancer, and cardiovascular problems.
"Zero alcohol consumption minimizes the overall risk of health loss".
Published today in @TheLancet, a new study shows any amount of #alcoholconsumption increases the overall risk of health loss, especially developing #cancer. https://t.co/ujNYuOY4Lg pic.twitter.com/PIsIlJEx2Y
— IHME at UW (@IHME_UW) August 23, 2018
The countries with the highest death rates attributable to alcohol were Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, Mongolia, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Burundi, and the Central African Republic.
The lowest death rates were in Kuwait, Iran, Palestine, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jordan, Syria, the Maldives and Singapore.
"With the largest collected evidence base to date, our study makes the relationship between health and alcohol clear – drinking causes substantial health loss, in myriad ways, all over the world," added Dr Gakidou.
"There is a compelling and urgent need to overhaul policies to encourage either lowering people’s levels of alcohol consumption or abstaining entirely.
"The myth that one or two drinks a day are good for you is just that – a myth. This study shatters that myth."
