I am not Irish but I’ve been living here long enough to have an opinion about Irish society. I’ve realised living in Ireland made me drink more.

I was weak for not being able to drink more

When I arrived in this beautiful Emerald Island, I couldn’t drink more than 3 pints without feeling drunk and dizzy. An Irish friend made fun of me and called me weak for being incapable of drinking more than that. Now after 2 years living in this country, I am able to drink 10 pints and still stand on my feet without falling over.

I took the decision to stop drinking for a while

After some time, I realised I had adapted. I drink more. Irish habits were influencing me. It was affecting my life and not in a good way. I took the decision to stop drinking for a while. I realised I was able to reduce my pints consumption.

Society shapes us

Society determines what is considered good or bad, normal or not and has a huge impact on our social behaviour. It influences how we much we drink.

I realised the need to be a part of something, part of a society where I live can be strong enough to change my perspective and my beliefs. I had started drinking too much.

Why is the pub the main social activity?

It’s true that education, ads, laws and even the opening hours of shops, restaurants, can affect and influence how much we drink. For example, I’ve always wondered why after 6 pm, one of the only social thing going on in town is going to a pub where people drink alcohol. My options to get out of that vicious circle are very limited.

People drink too much in my country too, but there are differences

Don’t get me wrong, where I am from, people drink too but I see some differences

1. It’s not socially approved to see a drunk adult.

2.The amount of alcohol it is acceptable for each person to drink is lower.

3.Going out for a drink is usually reserved for the weekends, not during the week.

4.There are more things to do in the city, like night markets, ice cream stores, juice stores open until late. It is very common to go there in the evening for an ice cream and a nice walk with your partner, friends or family. I agree that the weather helps.

Little things can help us

A simple gesture like promoting street markets that open late can help. Have more free art events. Stop increasing the amount of pubs licences and places that can sell drink.  Providing new social activities that don’t require us to consume an addictive substance helps to have a healthier population. Creating a healthier society should be a top priority.

Editor’s Note

We’re near the top of the league  of 194 countries when it comes to binge drinking. Click here for more details.

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