Growing Up in Ireland: The Lives of 20-Year-Olds 2021 (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)

In 2021, the Growing Up in Ireland Longitudinal Study published a report of the 1998 cohort, which includes data on alcohol consumption. 96% of participants had consumed alcohol by the age of 20, with 16 being the average age for having their first full alcoholic drink. Frequent drinking was more common in males than females, in those in higher parental education families, and those in the highest household social class. The AUDIT screening tool was used to categorise young people based on the riskiness of their drinking behaviour. 46% had drinking behaviour that could be described as ‘risky or hazardous’, a further 7% reported drinking in the ‘high risk or harmful’ category, while a final 4% could be described as ‘very high risk’. Again, males were more likely than women to be in the top two risk categories, as were those in higher parental education families and those in the highest household social class.

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