For many years the proportion of women who drink in Ireland has been higher than in any other European country, 77% compared to 68%. Men drink more often than women, with 45% of men drinking 2-3 times more than the average woman in Ireland. In the brief, it is shown that alcohol consumption at the age of 16 is the leading risk factor for death among men aged 15 to 59, according to the World Health Organization (Alcohol Action) . Men are advised to drink no more than 21 standard beers per week, which equates to 10 pints of normal beer. In Ireland, the price of alcohol is 50% more affordable than it was in 1996, making it easier for Irish people to drink. The average age of first alcohol consumption for children born in 1990 was 14 years old, ten years earlier, in 1980, it was 16 years old. A specific survey on alcohol consumption among 15 and 16 year old Europeans found more Irish girls (44%) than boys (42%). reported that excessive alcohol consumption has become a problem for young adolescents (alcohol