This seems like a good topic as we head into the weekend. I keep reading how professional workers are doing increasingly better at reducing their levels of smoking. Unfortunately, that same group of people – e.g. your lawyer, psychologist, doctor, and accountant- is not doing half as well at controlling their intake of alcohol! Ok, ok people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones (you may be thinking), and let me be the first to admit to enjoying a wee dram of Scottish wine (that’s Scotch to the un-initiated). But recent surveys show that binge drinking is widespread and is at its most prevalent among the better-off, wine-imbibing professional classes.
More than a third of adults (37 per cent) exceeded the daily safe limits for drinking – three to four units for men and two to three for women – on at least one day a week. The proportion rose to 43 per cent among professional and managerial groups, compared with 31 per cent amongst manual workers. I used to be puzzled as to what a unit of alcohol was. Well, a unit of alcohol is half a pint of ordinary beer, a small glass of wine, or a single measure of spirits. The “safe” limits represent doctors’ judgment on the daily amount of alcohol that is unlikely to do harm. We used to say a safe weekly limit of 28 units for men and 21 units for women was about right, but then found that many drinkers were saving up their units for a weekend bender while still claiming to be drinking safely! So where is this going you may be asking? Well, in some countries doctors are demanding mandatory labeling for alcoholic drinks to help us to keep track of our alcohol consumption. A good idea what do you think? Meanwhile TGIF…….. barkeep fill that glass!
