Drunks clog hospitals
The week's news at a glance.
Dublin
Excessive drinking is Ireland’s worst health problem, the government said this week. Alcohol poisoning and drunken accidents account for more than a quarter of all admissions to hospital emergency rooms across the country. Health Minister Michael Martin said the government had had it with “people turning up hopelessly drunk” at the hospital. He has proposed restricting ads for beer and whiskey, and adding health warnings to the labels on all alcoholic beverages. Ireland has long been associated with heavy drinking, but the problem has worsened in the past decade. Per capita consumption of alcohol has risen by 50 percent since 1989.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster: 'a rare treat indeed'
The Week Recommends The Roadster version of Aston Martin's new Vantage coupé makes even 'the most mundane journey feel special'
-
Bad Friend: Tiffany Watt Smith explores why women abandon friendships
The Week Recommends A 'deeply researched' account of female friendship through history
-
Brazil's reborn dolls craze
Under The Radar The 'hyper-realistic' babies soaring in popularity in South American nation have spawned controversy