This document discusses promoting alcohol awareness in the workplace. It notes that alcohol misuse costs UK businesses £7.3 billion per year and is linked to cancers and illnesses. It recommends that employees are made aware of NHS lower risk drinking guidelines and encourages online alcohol self-assessments, which can reduce problem drinking by 50%. Over 90% of employees say they do not mind being asked about their drinking for health promotion purposes.

1. HEALTHY
EMPLOYEES
Promoting
Alcohol Awareness
in the Workplace
Alcohol misuse is costly…
to UK businesses and to employee health and wellbeing
£7.3lost /year
linked to
cancers 70%
Do your employees know?
NHS recommended lower risk guidelines - do not regularly exceed:
3-4
units per day
Binge Drinking = Binge Drinking =
10 units
Over 90%
of employees say they don’t
mind being asked about their
drinking for health promotion
2-3
units per day
they save £4 in sickness
absence costs
The World Health
Organisation
cites alcohol self assessment as
one the most effective measures
to reduce alcohol harm
Online alcohol
self-assessments
can reduce problem
drinking by
ALCOHOL
AWARE
EMPLOYEES
Billion
to UK economy due to
alcohol misuse
Million
sick days
per year in the UK due
to alcohol misuse 17
Drinking 60
regularly is
50 %
illnesses are
linked to
alcohol misuse
To find out more
about raising alcohol awareness in your workplace, go to:
www.alcoholhealthnetwork.org.uk
@AlcoholNetwork
CLOSED
of 25-65 yr olds don’t know
how many units are in a glass
of wine or beer
For every £1
companies
spend on alcohol
awareness,
The win-win solution:
Alcohol Aware employees = Healthy employees
Large glass
red/white/rose wine
(250ml, ABV 12%)
Pint of higher-strength
lager/beer/cider
(ABV 5.2%)
WOMEN MEN
3 units
3 units
7
8+ units
in one day
6+ units
in one day 1unit
Single Gin & Tonic
(25ml spirits, ABV 40%)
Bottle of wine
(750ml, ABV 13.5%)
25%
of the global workforce
drink above recommended
lower risk guidelines
‘Regularly’ means
drinking these
amounts every day
or most days
of the week
People drink excessively
for many reasons but
lack of awareness plays
a large part
Excessive drinking
leads to long term
medical conditions as
well as hangovers
People
often under-estimate
⅓how much
they drink by
60%
up to
UK employees
admit coming
to work with
a hangover

2. References
17 Million sick days per year in the UK due to alcohol misuse
Home Office (November 2012), ‘Impact Assessment on a minimum
unit price for alcohol’, HM Government
£7.3 Billion lostper year to the UK economy due to
alcohol misuse
Home Office (November 2012), ‘Impact Assessment on a minimum
unit price for alcohol’, HM Government
1⁄3 UK employees admit coming to work with a hangover
Aviva (2008) Booze is number one threat to worker wellbeing.
Available at www.aviva.co.uk/risksolutions/news/2008/05/08/
booze-is-number-one-threat-to-worker-well-being/
1 in 4 employees admit making mistakes as a result
Aviva (2008) Booze is number one threat to worker wellbeing.
Available at www.aviva.co.uk/risksolutions/news/2008/05/08/
booze-is-number-one-threat-to-worker-well-being/
Drinking regularly is linked to 7 cancers
www.drinkaware.co.uk/check-the-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/
effects-on-the-body/alcohol-and-cancer
60 illnesses are linked to alcohol misuse
NHS Information Centre (2010). Report. Smoking, drinking
and drug use among young people in England in 2010
70% of 25–65 year olds don’t know how many units
are in a glass of wine or beer
www.drinkaware.co.uk/about-us/press-office/
drinkaware-says-unit-guidelines-just-arent-working
25% of the global workforce drink above recommended
guidelines
International Labour Organisation Code of Practice on the
Management of Alcohol and Drug Related Issues. ILO 1995
People often underestimate how much they drink by
up to 60%
Boniface S., Shelton N., (2013) ‘How is alcohol consumption
affected if we account for under-reporting? A hypothetical scenario’
The European Journal of Public Health, 2013
For every £1 companies spend on alcohol awareness,
they save £4 in sickness absence costs
Quanbeck A, Lang K, Enami K and Brown R. (2010). A Cost-Benefit
Analysis of Wisconsin’s Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to
Treatment Program: Adding the Employer’s Perspective. Wisconsin
Medical Journal ; 109(1): 9–14.
Online alcohol self-assessments can reduce
problem drinking by 50%
Wallace P, Murray E, McCambridge J, Khadjesari Z, White IR, et al.
(2011) On-line Randomized Controlled Trial of an Internet Based
Psychologically Enhanced Intervention for People with Hazardous
Alcohol Consumption. PLoS ONE 6(3): e14740. doi:10.1371/
journal.pone.0014740
Over 90% of employees say they don’t mind being
asked about their drinking for health promotion
Watson H, Godfrey C, McFadyen A, McArthur K, Stevenson M. (2009).
Reducing alcohol-related harm in the workplace. A feasibility study of
screening and brief interventions for hazardous drinkers. Caledonian
Nursing Midwifery Research Centre. Scotland.
The World Health Organisation cites alcohol self
assessment as one the most effective measures to
reduce alcohol harm
WHO Europe, European action plan to reduce the harmful use of
alcohol 2012–2020