Alcohol consumption in Ireland 1986-2006: report for the Health Service Executive Alcohol Implementation Group

This report by the Health Service Executive shows that alcohol consumption per capita has been static in Ireland since 2003. The report analyses trends in alcohol consumption between 1986 and 2006 and shows that alcohol consumption per capita peaked in 2001 and 2002 at 11.2 litres of pure alcohol per capita. A rise in excise duty on cider in 2001 and a rise in excise duty on spirits in 2002 together led to a reduction from 11.2 in 2001 and 2002 to 10.6 in 2003. The rate has remained static since then. Irish adults are the third highest consumers of alcohol in the enlarged EU behind Luxembourg and Hungary. Beer remains the most popular alcoholic drink in Ireland but its share of the market has fallen from 69% in 1986 to 51% in 2006. Wine has grown, rising to 21% in 2006 from just 6% of the market in 1986. Spirits-on which there was the most recent rise in excise duty-have fallen back to 19% from 23% in 1986. Data for the report has been calculated using sales figures supplied by the Revenue Commissioners and population figures from the Central Statistics Offic