Only 20% say the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol would make them buy less

Reach Insights Press Release

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13th December 2018

Only 20% say the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol would make them buy less

44% believe the Government should not interfere in how alcohol is priced

44% say that there are too many sports clubs and competitions sponsored by alcoholic companies

36% of alcohol consumers binge drink

With the festive season in full flow, Christmas parties and other social occasions will be raising a toast to celebrate the holidays. Irish social gatherings so often see alcohol take a central role in meeting with friends and family, and concerns over the impact of drinking have been growing for some time.

Proposals to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol in shops have gained a great deal of traction in recent years, with plans already in place to introduce such measures in Ireland. To discover more about Irish people’s alcohol consumption, iReach has conducted a nationally representative survey of 1001 people. 91% of respondents have consumed alcohol at some point in their lives.

Of those who have consumed alcohol, more than half (59%) began drinking before they were eighteen years old. This number is higher among males at 64% compared to 55% of females.

 It is also interesting to note a generational difference here, with only 34% of those aged 55+ consuming alcohol before eighteen almost doubling to 61% among 35-55-year olds and increasing again up to an enormous 70% of those aged 18-34. 

The top cited reasons for drinking alcohol were listed as curiosity (50%), cultural normalisation (33%) and peer pressure (27%), with fear of missing out (18%) and accessibility (13%) completing the top five.

Additionally, 36% of those who have consumed alcohol binge drink, with binge drinking more prevalent among males (41%) than females (32%). 66% of respondents think that their alcohol consumption is of a normal level.

Only 20% say that the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol in shops would make them buy less alcohol, with 44% who believe that the Government should not interfere with the pricing of alcohol.

A further 44% of people say that there are too many sports clubs and competitions sponsored by alcoholic companies.

About iReach Insights

iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between the 22^nd November and the 28^th November and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.

 

iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND.

iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne

T: 01-214 3740 or email: PR@ireachhq.com