A new study from this year shows that in some professions the consumption of alcohol is particularly high.
Thompson, A., Pirmohamed, M. Associations between occupation and heavy alcohol consumption in UK adults aged 40–69 years: a cross-sectional study using the UK Biobank. BMC Public Health 21, 190 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10208-x
Do You work in construction or in the catering industry as a manager? Then the risk that you will become addicted to alcohol and become a drinker is considerably higher than in other professions. The data from the United Kingdom Biobank was used to find out whether there is a link between jobs and drinking.
The answer is clearly yes.
As a meteorologist or physicist, the risk of becoming a drinker is considerably lower, to pick just two professions. The number of heavy drinkers is highest among craftsmen, in construction or in mining, i.e. professions where mainly men are employed and have to do hard physical work, and this is true for all highly developed countries.
Of course, the job is not the only dangerous thing, there are many other factors that can lead to increased alcohol consumption. For example, genetic and non-genetic factors such as gender, age at first drinking, duration of poverty and involuntary unemployment, other lifestyle risk factors and socio-economic status.
Speaking of gender: Among women, the professions of policewoman, driving instructor and manager are probably particularly prone to alcohol consumption. This clearly points to the connection between drinking and stress. The greater the responsibility and professional challenge, the greater the stress and the greater the tendency to reduce it through alcohol.
The results are also important because they can enable employers to make changes in the workplace, such as Lloyds Insurance has already done by strictly banning alcohol during working hours.
By the way, the damage to the national economy is considerable. Drinkers get sick faster and more often, drinkers die sooner and drinkers are less able to perform certain tasks.
Corona is not making things any easier. Home offices, the greater burden of lockdowns, more childcare, etc. have led to an increase in alcohol consumption among about a third of adults.
We have already described the damage alcohol causes to your body in our article on alcoholic fatty liver. Please also read this article so that you know what treatment options you have against the damage to the liver if you are affected.