Beer-loving Brits are the second worst binge drinkers in Europe…beaten to the top spot by port-loving Portugal, survey reveals
In first place is Portugal, which has Europe’s greatest binge drinking problem
Ireland has the highest alcohol consumption, but is less affected by binging
Women in central and eastern Europe drink the least amount of alcohol
In Nordic countries, Danes drink the most, but Norwegian men binge more
Across Europe, men drink almost twice as much as women regardless of country
Source: Daily Mail
By Alexandra Thompson Health Reporter
11 May 2017
Britons are the second worst binge drinkers in Europe, according to the findings of a new survey.
Defying stereotypes of beer-loving Britons and Germans, Portugal surprisingly takes the lead as Europe’s biggest binge-drinking nation.
Yet, the Guinness-guzzling Irish drink the most alcohol overall, the survey found.
In the Nordic countries, Denmark tops the list for the highest overall alcohol consumption, while weekend binges are most common among Norwegian men.
Although the survey does not say why Portugal has the biggest binge-drinking problem, previous reports have suggested British and Spanish revelers cause drink-fueled havoc after being attracted by its cheap flights.
Britain comes second to Portugal for the biggest binge-drinking nation in Europe.
Ireland has the greatest alcohol consumption overall.
In Nordic countries, Denmark drink the most.
Yet, Norwegian men are the most likely to binge.
Women in central and eastern Europe drink the least amount of alcohol.
Across Europe, men drink almost twice as much as women.
Those who earn less tend to binge drink, while people who are more financially comfortable consume more alcohol overall.
Across Europe, men drink almost twice as much as women, the research added.
Women in central and eastern Europe drink the least amount of alcohol, they found.
The results, published in the European Journal of Public Health, also showed that people who earn less tend to binge drink, yet those who are more financially comfortable consume more alcohol overall.
Yet, the findings do not specify the league table for Europe’s biggest drinkers, how much each nation drinks or how results have changed since past surveys.
Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology collaborated with scientists from more than 40 European countries.
They developed a questionnaire that quizzed participants on their drinking habits.
Crucially, the number of people who took part in the questionnaire, and their ages, are not mentioned.
Professor Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, told MailOnline: ‘The results of this study are very worrying, if not entirely surprising.
‘Alcohol is associated with over 60 medical conditions, including heart disease, liver disease and cancer.
‘In addition, those who binge drink are more at risk of the short-term effects of drinking such as alcohol poisoning, blackout and injury.
‘We know that the amount people consume is linked to price – and alcohol is 60 per cent more affordable than it was in 1980.
‘Offers such as “all the Prosecco you can drink” also encourage excessive consumption and put people at risk.’
The survey’s results have been presented to the EU health commissioner.
This comes after researchers from University Hospital Munich found binge drinking can cause an irregular heartbeat in a study in April.
They tracked 3,000 visitors to the Munich Octoberfest and found those who drank the most were more likely to develop an abnormal heart rhythm, which can cause severe health problems in later life.