Booze up for Ireland's kids

Report finds worrying rise in young drinkers

- BY DANNY DE VAAL

AROUND 50,000 children start drinking booze each year, while the rate of alcohol consumption between 15 to 24-year-olds is on the rise, sobering data has revealed.

The study from Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) explored drinking trends amongst young people in this country.

It found consumption between the mid-2000s and the mid-2010s decreased steadily, but since 2015 - it's started to increase again.

Boffins declared alcohol consumption levels for young people aged 15-24 increased from 66% in 2018 to 75% in 2024.

Researchers also found that teenagers were typically having their first alcoholic drink older at 16.6 years in 2019 compared to 15.6 years in 2002.

They concluded that while it was a positive that youngsters were delaying having their first drink, they found that once they started boozing they would consume more than the national average.

The findings, which were published in "Youth drinking in Ireland on the rise for a decade", show how boozing during teenage years is a known risk factor for later dependency.

Speaking about the report: AAI CEO Dr Sheila Gilheany said: "In recent years a narrative has emerged that youth drinking is perhaps no longer an issue in Ireland.