Twelve per cent of drivers admit to drink driving, according to the Department of Health survey published today.
However, the percentage represents a decrease since 2002 when 16 per cent admitted to getting behind the wheel after having two or more alcoholic drinks.
The Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (Slán), conducted last year, found that most men (85 per cent) and women (77 per cent) drank alcohol on some occasions. More than a quarter (28 per cent) reported excessive drinking. Excessive drinking was defined as having six or more standard drinks on one occasion in the last year.
There was a decrease in the percentage of respondents who reported consuming six or more drinks at least once a week, from 45 per cent in 2002 to 28 per cent last year.
The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (Digi) welcomed the findings of the survey. Digi Chairman Michael Patten said the survey supported the view of the industry that alcohol consumption was moderating and that many of the stories about rising consumption arise from out-of-date research.
“This survey implies that 92 per cent of respondents drank no more than the weekly recommended limit. We should therefore focus our efforts on tackling the problem of alcohol misuse rather than simply caricaturing the country as awash with drink.”
Across five categories of illicit drugs consumed, only marijuana was used by more than one in 100 respondents in 2007. According to the survey 5 per cent of people used marijuana in the previous year.
The survey is the third such study, having previously been conducted in 1998 and 2002. Slán 2007, published today, follows on from the two previous surveys which used postal questionnaires – in 1998, involving 6,539 respondents with a 62 per cent response rate, and in 2002, involving 5,992 respondents with a 53 per cent response rate. This year’s survey involved 10,364 respondents with a 62 per cent response rate.
