BINGE DRINKING has decreased amongst people in Ireland, according to a new survey which looks into the health of the nation.
The Healthy Ireland Survey 2021 examined areas such as alcohol consumption, weight, social connectedness and smoking, with results this year providing an insight into a time during which the pandemic restrictions had a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of participants.
The survey found that 42% of drinkers stated they are drinking less, with binge drinking down significantly - reduced to 15% of the population compared to 28% before the pandemic.
37% of the population aged 15 and older reported they drink alcohol at least once a week, compared to 41% in the previous measurement from the 2018 survey.
It also found that 90% of women of reproductive age correctly identified drinking alcohol during pregnancy as being an unsafe activity.
In other areas, the survey found that 18% of the population are current smokers, representing a decline of 5% since the first wave of the survey in 2015, but equivalent to smoking levels seen in 2018.
Smoking in 25-34 year-olds has declined by 6 percentage points to 20% since 2019, with 45-54 year-olds now having the highest prevalence of smoking at 24%.
Almost 3 out of 10 people (29%) report that their weight has increased, with weight increases reported most often by women over 30 and mothers.
36% of people report consuming two or more unhealthy snack foods daily, with 24% consuming one unhealthy snack on a daily basis.
84% of people perceive their health to be good or very good, 3% rate their health as bad or very bad.
The survey also looked into the health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions.
81% reported lower levels of social connectedness and 30% reported worsening mental health since the start of the pandemic.
Findings on suicide awareness note that 13% of people responding to that module have lost someone close to them by suicide.
Those whose mental health has worsened are more likely to report that they are drinking and smoking more than before.
The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly said the survey is an important snapshot into the health and wellbeing of the people of Ireland.
"This is particularly important in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and the learnings we can take from our country's response in terms of policy and supports that will benefit the future health and wellbeing of the Irish people," he said.
Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health Dr Tony Holohan said the understandings gained from the survey is "immense".
"We now have a valuable flow of up-to-date data and information, that will help us better understand the impact of the pandemic on a range of issues including social connectedness and mental health.
"These insights will continue to inform our public health policies supports for this area of health and wellbeing, and I look forward to future results to support the mapping of our collective national recovery."
