Catholic bishops have said the use of alcohol in Irish society is 'a national tragedy'.
They have appealed to people to moderate their drinking and have called for a national debate on the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption.
The Irish Bishops' Conference has launched a pastoral letter on the issue.
They say they want to initiate a debate that will gradually change what they term the country's unhealthy attitude towards alcohol.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio, Bishop Eamonn Walsh, the vice chairperson of the conference's drug initiative, said moderation was the key when it came to alcohol consumption and that it was time for us to sit up and take notice of the damage caused by drink.
Bishop Walsh described the drink culture as a 'creeping paralysis' that had the potential to destroy society if action was not taken.
Bishop Walsh pointed out that Ireland topped two recent international league tables that measured binge drinking among those under 20 and also the rate of alcohol consumption for those aged 15 and over.
He said many young people were drinking because of a lack of services and facilities for teenagers across the country.
Bishop Walsh said there was an onus on the wider society to provide relevant alternatives to the drinking culture.
