Does Alcohol Awareness Play a Part in Workplace Wellness?

by Marie Quinn, Workplace Wellness Co-ordinator at Drinkaware

The growing trend in workplace wellness is a welcome one. Employers are realising that there are benefits in terms of recruitment and retention, and employees appreciate their wellness being considered.

In general, Irish people are increasingly considering aspects of their physical and mental health with the latest Pfizer Health Index (2018) showing that 86% of people felt that their personal health was important to them, an increase from 71% in 2017.

The workplace has been recognised by the WHO as playing an important role in promoting health. Workplace Wellness Programmes (WWP) typically involve elements looking at mental health, physical wellness, good nutrition and sleep. Alcohol misuse plays a role in all these areas.

Mental Health
Alcohol misuse can contribute to the development of mental health difficulties and exacerbate existing mental health problems. Alcohol is a factor in more than half of all suicides in Ireland.

Physical Health
Alcohol contributes towards the development of at least 7 different cancers including liver cancer, bowel cancer and breast cancer.

Nutrition
Alcohol is also high in calories, contributing to our problem of overweight and obesity.

Sleep
Excess alcohol intake can have a negative effect on the quality of sleep, leading to feelings of tiredness the next day. This in turn makes a person less likely to engage in physical activity.

Research from the recent Drinkaware Index shows that 21% of Irish drinkers sometimes think they should cut down on their drinking, but only 2% were able to correctly identify the HSE low-risk guidelines for alcohol. This shows that there is an interest, but the knowledge is lacking.