A study of workplace alcohol problems has found that employees in the hospitality industry have a higher rate of serious alcohol-related problems than employees in other industry sectors, with construction workers and wholesale trade employees following close behind. The report by Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems at The George Washington University Medical Center reveals billions lost to productivity and additional health care cost because of employee alcohol abuse.

Overall, an average of nine percent of all U.S. workers have problems with alcohol to the extent that it contributes to absenteeism, higher health care costs and lost productivity, the report says. Within the hospitality industry, that average is a whopping 15 percent.

Unsafe Use of Alcohol

"Most employees represented in these numbers are not dependent on alcohol," said Eric Goplerud, PhD, director of Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems and lead researcher, in a news release. "But they do use alcohol in ways that lead to short-term safety problems and long-term health consequences."

"The impact of alcohol problems in the workplace is a tremendous hidden challenge -- in part because very few people with an alcohol problem are ever identified," said Andrew Webber, president and CEO of the National Business Coalition on Health. "In the past, employers have led the way to doing more for people with chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. It's time for American industry to do the same for people with alcohol problems."

Prevalence of Alcohol Abuse

The report listed the prevalence of hazardous alcohol use by industry sector:

• Hospitality: 15.0%
  
• Construction: 14.7%
  
• Wholesale Trade: 11.9%
  
• Professional: 10.6%
  
• Retail Trade: 9.7%
  
• Finance & Real Estate: 9.2%
  
• Manufacturing: Male 8.6%
  
• Transportation/Utilities: 8.2%
  
• Information/Communication: 8.1%
  
• Agriculture: 7.2%
  
• Other Services: 6.4%
  
• Education/Social Services: 5.4%
  
• Public Administration: 5.3%

Screening and Brief Intervention

The Ensuring Solutions report recommends that employers adopt a practice known as Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI) which has been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol problems in a wide variety of settings.

"Alcohol problems affect every workplace, with some industries paying a tremendous price." said Dr. Goplerud. "It's in the interest of every employer to do something. Screening and brief intervention is a proven approach that promises to effectively reduce workplace alcohol problems."

The report, "Workplace Screening & Brief Intervention: What Employers Can and Should Do About Excessive Alcohol Use" is available online in PDF format.

Workplace Issues:

• Drug Testing: Keeping it Legal
  
• Hangovers - A Pain in the Workplace
  
• Substance Abuse in the Workplace

^{Photo: Clipart.com}