Middle class professionals ‘more likely to binge drink’

LONDON - A new UK study has revealed that middle class professionals are much bigger drinkers than blue-collar workers.

According to the Office of National Statistics lifestyle survey of 13,488 people carried out in 2009, professionals drink an average of 13.5 units of alcohol a week-almost a pint of beer or two glasses of wine a day-compared to 10.7 units for adults in routine and manual jobs.

Managers and high flyers are also far more likely to binge drink with 23 percent of men and 15 percent of women downing more than eight and six units respectively on at least one day in the previous week.

On the other hand 19 percent of males and 11 percent of women from blue-collar families did the same.

However, as far as smoking is concerned, almost twice as many working class people indulge in the habit-three in ten (29 percent) compared to 15 percent of those higher up the social ladder.

“While there continues to be a strong culture of drinking as part of professional roles it is not surprising to see managers drinking more than manual workers,” the Daily Mail quoted Chris Sorek, of the alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware, as saying.

“Meetings and get-togethers are all situations where professionals may feel under pressure to drink. We also know many de-stress with a drink at home after a long working day, it is not unusual for people to have a drink when they get home.

“It is important we use education to help people develop effective ways to cope with job related stress without alcohol,” he said. (ANI)