Irish people are the European Union's top binge drinkers, with more than a third of people admitting in a survey that they drink five or more alcoholic beverages in a single sitting.
A Eurobarometer survey published by the European Commission today shows 34 per cent of Irish respondents say they "usually binge drink".
EU Commissioner Markos Kyprianou
This compares to about one in four respondents from Finland (27 per cent), the UK (24 per cent) and Denmark (23 per cent).
Just 2 per cent of respondents in Italy and Greece and 4 per cent in Portugal usually binge drink, the survey said.
Binge drinking is defined as having five or more alcoholic drinks in one session.
Overall across the EU, binge drinking is highest among the 15 to 24 age group (overall 19 per cent) though with "sharp national differences", according to the survey.
It also reveals that almost eight out of ten Europeans (77 per cent) agree with putting warnings on alcohol bottles and adverts in order to warn pregnant women and drivers of the dangers of drinking alcohol.
Nearly three quarters of those surveyed (73 per cent) across the EU would agree to a lower blood alcohol limit for young and learner drivers of 0.2 grammes of alcohol per litre of blood.
Most Europeans (68 per cent) believe that higher prices for alcohol would not discourage young people and heavy drinkers from consuming alcohol.
EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said: "It is clear from this survey that EU citizens support measures to protect specific groups in society, such as pregnant women, drivers and young people from the harmful effects of alcohol abuse and misuse. I am deeply concerned about the data showing that one in five young Europeans regularly binge drink."
The Commission estimates that alcohol abuse and misuse kills 195,000 people a year in the EU. It said harmful alcohol consumption is responsible for one in four deaths among young men aged 15-29.
Last October, the European Commission adopted an EU strategy to support member states in reducing alcohol related harm.
Its priorities are to protect young people and children; reduce injuries and deaths from alcohol-related road accidents; prevent harm among adults and reduce the negative impact on the economy; raise awareness of the impact on health of harmful alcohol consumption; and help gather reliable statistics.
The Commission said it has also proposed an Alcohol and Health Forum to examine how industry can make a contribution to the debate, notably in the area of responsible advertising and marketing.