A campaign group which targets a reduction in alcohol misuse has asked for workplaces to monitor their employees’ levels of drinking. The Alcohol Health Network has called for workers to be required to take a test as standard which will determine if they are a ‘risky drinker’ or not.
Don Shenker is the founder and director of the group and he wants to see problems stamped out before they have a chance to develop. He said: “Offering staff confidential use of the ‘alcohol use disorders identification test’ and brief advice as a self-awareness initiative at work, whether through face to face interactions or leaflets, may well help prevent problems with alcohol at an earlier stage.
“In this way, staff who may be concerned about their drinking or whose level of drinking is not yet apparent to them, can assess the risks their drinking poses to their health and take appropriate action.
“Reducing hazardous drinking also reduces the risk of dependent drinking occurring.”
One of the biggest other reasons behind this suggestion is so workplaces can avoid the added cost of employee sickness through alcohol. Alcohol abuse remains a major problem in the UK as roughly 9 per cent of men and 4 per cent of women display signs they are dependent on alcohol.
