Global burden of disease: estimates of alcohol use and attributable burden in Ireland. What the data tell us and what we need to do to address the burden of alcohol 2022 (Alcohol Action Ireland; UCC School of Public Health)

Alcohol places a significant health burden on Ireland. Understanding the extent of this burden is an important element in policy decisions around alcohol. Data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study indicates that previous measures of alcohol related deaths and illnesses are underestimates and that 5% of all deaths in Ireland in 2019 are attributable to alcohol. This gives further weight to arguments for serious consideration of alcohol control measures. In particular, it is clear given the harms outlined, that full implementation of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 is urgently needed. In addition, the analysis presented demonstrates that the GBD study provides a readily accessible, frequently updated, source of data around the alcohol burden in Ireland, employing a standardized metric- the Disability-Adjusted-Life-Years (DALYs), which could be useful for policy makers in Ireland.

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