Report finds Irish teenagers have high drunkenness rate

The new figures are contained in the State of the Nation’s Children report, which has been amended after some incorrect data on teen intoxication was published last month.

In December 2008, the report compiled by the office of the Minister of State for Children and Youth Affairs, Barry Andrews, incorrectly indicated drunkenness rates among Irish children were below the international average.

It claimed Ireland had the second-lowest level of teen drunkenness among the nine countries surveyed. However, the corrected report now ranks Ireland second highest. When data provided by 15-year-olds was analysed to draw international comparisons, the percentage of Irish children reporting intoxication at least once in the last 30 days – 29 per cent – compared unfavourably to the international average of 21.7 per cent.

Nine countries were surveyed and only Austria presented higher levels of teen intoxication than Ireland, with 30.6 per cent. Poland had the lowest level with 15.7 per cent. The data relates to 2006.

A spokeswoman for the Minister’s office said the Irish data used had always been correct but the international data reported had been incorrect initially. An erratum had been issued last month, she said. The correct information is being inserted into printed copies of the report and the information on the office’s website www.omc.gov.ie  has been updated.

Dr Bobby Smyth, of the department of public health and primary care at Trinity College Dublin, said it was unfortunate that inaccurate information had entered the public domain.

“The sad reality confirmed in the corrected data is that Irish 15 year olds demonstrate rates of drunkenness which are well above the international average, with 29 per cent reporting being drunk in the past month. This is the second highest rate found in the countries surveyed. It is important that we avoid any complacency around the issue of drunkenness among young teenagers.”

Dr Smyth said there was growing international evidence that alcohol was a “gateway drug” in countries with “binge drinking cultures”, such as Ireland.