Survey: Binge drinking highest in Ireland

? Binge drinking continues to be a problem in Ireland, Britain, Finland and Denmark, according to a European Union survey of alcohol consumption released Wednesday.

The poll, conducted in October and November, found that almost one in five people between the ages of 15 and 24 reported drinking five or more alcoholic beverages in one session, or 19 percent of those asked across the 27-nation bloc, Croatia and northern Cyprus.

The poll found that 34 percent of Irish people questioned said they “usually” binge drink, followed by Finland, where 27 percent of respondents said they did the same. Britain was third with 24 percent and Denmark fourth with 23 percent.

Much lower levels of alcohol were consumed in Italy and Greece, where only 2 percent of those asked said they binge drink.