ALCOHOLISM Industry's magnum‐sized problem
| Published date | 01 October 1980 |
| Date | 01 October 1980 |
| Pages | 21-22 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb057136 |
| Author | David A. Curson |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
ALCOHOLISM
Industry's magnum-sized problem
THE COST of alcoholism to industry
has been difficult to estimate, but one
survey suggested that 255,000
alcoholics in various stages of addic-
tion are in full-time employment. A
working party set up by the National
Council on Alcoholism in 1976, con-
servatively estimated that the cost to
industry was in the region of £350
million per annum.
In Britain, detection has probably
been hampered by the attitudes of
both management and trades unions.
On the one hand, industry seems
reluctant to accept that a problem
exists;
on the other, there is resistance
to investigating the incidence of the
problem. A survey carried out in
industry, by industry and for the ulti-
mate benefit of all those concerned
with industry, from the boardroom to
shop floor level would be a useful first
step.
Very few companies in Britain run
an Alcoholism Rehabilitation Prog-
ramme familiar in the U.S.A. Despite
the increase in interest in alcohol
dependence and abuse shown by gov-
ernment and medical and social work
professions, there seems to have been
little progress, in relation to industry
in this country. Too often there seems
to be nothing done in the early stages,
and then when the situation is clearly
evident, management and even col-
leagues recoil with horror and the
person is sacked.
Provided there is a general aware-
ness,
detection is not that difficult and
supervisors in an American study
noted the following signs: Leaving
post temporarily, absenteeism for half
a day or a day, unusual excuses for
absence, lower quality of work, and
mood change after lunch. Alcoholics
have three times more accidents at
work and lose five times more work-
ing days due to sickness than the rest
of the working population's average
of 16.5 days per annum. The loss of
production to companies is caused by
a combination of absenteeism, spoil-
By Dr. David A. Curson
MB,
BS, MRC Psych, DPM
age,
accidents, sick pay, inefficiency,
lowered morale, friction in the work
group, irresponsibility, missed
dealines and the need for excessive
supervisory time.
Whilst six million working days
were lost through strikes for the year
1975,
it is almost certain that more
time was lost due to the effects- of
alcoholism. With the steadily increas-
ing incidence of alcoholism in the
entire population, and allowing for
the inflationary spiral since many of
these surveys were performed, it is
probable that the total loss to industry
in 1980 will be more than £1,000 mil-
lion.
Although the general level of
alcoholic addiction is over one per
cent and for signficant problem drink-
ing over three per cent, this figure is
very much higher in certain occupa-
tions,
where numbers can reach
epidemic proportions. The factors
that may contribute to the higher
alcoholic risk in some occupations
are:
1.
Availability of alcohol at work
2.
Social pressure to drink at work
3.
Separation from normal social or
sexual relationships
4.
Freedom from supervision
5.
Very high or very low income
levels
6. Collusion by colleagues
7.
Strains and stress
8. Recruitment of "unusual peo-
ple"
predisposed to drink heav-
ily.
There can be few occupations
where one of these factors does not
operate, and in some areas very high
risk levels were reflected in the figures
for deaths due to cirrhosis of the liver,
descending from publicans and innk-
eepers, via seamen and bar
staff,
hoteliers and restaurateurs, to jour-
nalists, doctors and metallurgists.
The alcoholic or problem drinker
harms other as well as themselves.
Since consumption varies and each
person is unique, it is not surprising
that not all the classical signs need be
present in the same person to confi-
dently make the diagnosis. An
abbreviated and convenient list will
include - more time and energy
devoted to drinking, increased speed
of drinking, secret or surreptitious
drinking, (often secondary to shame
and guilt), chronic indigestion, poor
appetite, morning retching and vomit-
ing, withdrawal symptons or "the
shakes" (the drinker feels keyed up,
shaky, generally unwell and sweats
excessively when alcohol is not taken
for six hours or more, and is then
instantly relieved by another drink),
inappropriate drunkenness, trouble
at home and work, memory black-
outs,
risk-taking, arguments with
friends, irresponsible behaviour,
NOVEMBER 1980 21
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