Irish women drinkers have been ranked among the heaviest female drinkers in the world, while there has been a big fall in teetotallers here, a global report reveals today.

They are fourth in a league table of 189 countries, outpaced only by the drinking habits of women in Lithuania, Moldova and the Czech Republic.

Ireland overall retains its reputation as a country of heavy boozers - coming in at fifth in the world rankings with adults consuming more than 13 litres of alcohol a year.