Professor Frank Murray:

They were not quite as high as our levels. Europe is the highest drinking area in the world and we are among the heaviest consumers of alcohol in Europe. In fact, we are heavier drinkers than France and Italy, both of which drank far more than we did. They have taken steps to reduce alcohol abuse. An average Italian now drinks half as much as an average Irish person. They are shocking statistics. In France, the fall in alcohol consumption has been mirrored by a fall in mortality associated with alcohol-----