The HSE yesterday released a major report into the harm caused by alcohol in Ireland.

The study made for stark reading: people cited family problems, physical assaults, money problems, vandalism, and drunk driving, all caused by people in their lives drinking too much.

Ireland’s attitude to alcohol has been much documented. While the number of people who abstain from drinking completely is high – 13 per cent of the population, according to a 2011 study – the way in which many people drink is problematic, with Irish adults binge drinking more than adults in any other European country......