Cormac Healy Our drinking habits in Ireland have changed
Ireland’s relationship with alcohol is changing. And, as always, it is the consumer leading the way through a greater demand and desire for moderation.
We can all see this reality around us. Younger people are drinking differently and prefer experiences which offer them a more balanced lifestyle.
However, for some, the old stereotype of Ireland as a country of heavy drinkers is one they are unwilling to let go of. They are either unaware or unwilling to see what is really happening. In the last 20 years, per capita alcohol consumption in Ireland is down by around a third.
Looking at how we compare internationally, Irish people now drink less than not only the British and Americans but also less than the Spanish, French and Germans. In fact, we drink less than 18 other European countries.
The origin of these facts is the OECD, a source rightly trusted by policymakers worldwide. And we can all see in our towns and villages that 2,000 pubs have closed since 2005.
Not only is consumption significantly down, but the evidence suggests binge drinking — while still too high — has, according to the Government-sponsored Healthy Ireland, also fallen over time.
The latest figures in the Healthy Ireland Survey published in November last year, show 24pc of the population are considered binge drinkers, (those who drink the equivalent of three pints in one session), down from 27pc five years earlier.
Ireland has already enacted and is implementing further policies to regulate the sale of alcohol such as strict advertising restrictions, the physical separation of alcohol products and advertising in retail outlets, the removal of alcohol from sales promotions, minimum unit pricing and labelling warnings. Continued progress on moderation and balance will not be achieved by regulation but by education and awareness.
It is consumers who are making the choices, consumers who are driving change. This is borne out by research conducted by Drinks Ireland with Opinions, the market research company, among consumers which shows that a majority — six in 10 — say that “the desire to live a more balanced lifestyle” has led to a fall in their consumption of alcohol.
A majority of those same consumers, when asked, say that “Irish people should be trusted to make responsible choices when it comes to their personal consumption of alcohol” while seven in 10 people (69pc) also believed that “when it comes to the consumption of alcohol, we should focus on more education and awareness rather than more regulation”.
This is not so much a call for less regulation, rather it is a result of a changing relationship with alcohol felt by consumers who, for some time now, have been drinking differently. This is particularly true among younger people — or Gen Z — who have shown themselves to have a completely different relationship with alcohol than older generations.
Evidence suggests that for many younger people in Ireland, social occasions are centred around conviviality and no longer around alcohol per se.
Research has shown there is now a growing trend among Gen Z about being more mindful as to how they socialise with alcohol. This is what researchers call a desire for “better socialising”, which leads to a “better drinking culture”. Social media is a big driver of this change. The growth of platforms such as TikTok means younger people hold themselves to social media standards.
But the research also shows that pressure from social media also means Gen Zs are keen to get offline when they can. While Gen Z want to capture that perfect Insta post, they also want to make real life connections and memorable experiences.
Having a drink can be part of these experiences, or it cannot. It is rarely, however, the star of the show.
Another interesting finding from our research is that “the growing availability of non-alcoholic alternatives” was a factor in reducing consumption for a majority. In fact, of those who consumed non-alcoholic alternatives, only 5pc are non-drinkers.
The overwhelming majority of those who choose a non-alcoholic alternative, also enjoy a drink. Non-alcoholic alternatives offer consumers choice — a choice that supports moderation.
Continued support for the freedom to market and promote such products — crucial at the early point of the growth of such products — is a key plank in Drinks Ireland’s Pride of Place policy document which outlines policies that will help grow our sector while also dealing effectively with issues like misuse.
Published late last year, that document — which we encourage everyone to read — calls for sensible policies that recognise the new reality of alcohol consumption in Ireland.
As a country, we consume less alcohol and consume it differently. Of course, challenges remain. But rather than reaching for policy options which reflect the world as it was, let’s engage with the new reality and meet the challenges that are there now, together.
Cormac Healy is director of Drinks Ireland
