As Many as 19.2 Million May Drink at Work

An estimated 15 percent, or about 19.2 million employees, drink on the job or just before going to work, but the "good news" is most of them do not do so frequently, according to the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions.

The researchers at RIA interviewed 2,805 currently employed individuals throughout the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia in what they termed a "representative probability sample of the U.S. workforce."

The workers were asked how often during the previous year they drank alcohol within two hours of reporting to work, drank during the workday, worked under the influence or worked with a hangover.

Michael R. Frone, Ph.D., principal investigator on the study, estimates from the survey results that 2.3 million workers (1.8 percent of the workforce) have consumed alcohol at least once before coming to work and 8.9 million workers (7.1 percent of the workforce) have drank alcohol at least once during the workday. Most workers who drink during the workday do so during lunch breaks, though some drink while working or during other breaks.

Frone also estimated that 2.1 million workers (1.7 percent of the workforce) worked under the influence of alcohol and 11.6 million workers (9.2 percent of the workforce) worked with a hangover.

Workplace Drinking Not Frequent

The study reported that most workplace alcohol use and impairment does not occur frequently:

• Among those employees who report drinking before work, 71 percent reported doing so less than monthly

• 25 percent drank before work monthly

• Only four percent drank before work on a weekly basis.

• 62 percent drank during work hours less than monthly.

• 24 percent drank during work monthly

• Only 14 percent drank at work weekly.

Frone's study found that workplace alcohol use was more prevalent among men. Working under the influence of alcohol or with a hangover was more prevalent among younger workers and unmarried workers.

Most workers who reported drinking during the workday said they did so during lunch breaks, but some admitted drinking while actually working or during other breaks.

"Of all psychoactive substances with the potential to impair cognitive and behavioral performance, alcohol is the most widely used and misused substance in the general population and in the workforce," Frone said. "The misuse of alcohol by employed adults is an important social policy issue with the potential to undermine employee productivity and safety."

Source: This study was published in the January 2006 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol. Read more: 15 Percent Work Under Influence of Alcohol.