Binge drink crisis hits young workers.

Scotland's spiralling binge drinking culture has led to a big rise in young professionals seeking urgent help for alcohol addiction, crisis services have revealed.

Doctors yesterday warned the traditional drinking culture endemic in heavy industries has now been adopted by twenty- and thirty-somethings - many of them women - working in highly pressured jobs in sectors such as finance and marketing.

Their worries were backed up by figures from Alcoholics Anonymous seen by Scotland on Sunday which reveal 18 new groups have been set up across Scotland in the past year to meet growing demand for help from young people.

Dr Alan McDevitt, from the British Medical Association's Glasgow GPs' committee, said that while alcoholism affects all social groups, the culture of regular heavy drinking among young professionals is leading to major problems.

He said: "When you get a lot of young people together in industries such as IT, finance or sales, working in the city centre or in call centre environments, there can be a regular drinking culture.

"I have seen patients who have come from that kind of background recognising that they have started to have a problem. Traditionally, drinking was endemic in industries such as shipbuilding, rail and heavy engineering. Now it is in high-performance service industries. It is seen as socially acceptable to drink far more.

"If you take an industry which is predominantly staffed by young people, acceptable heavy regular drinking is a potent mix and a new breeding ground for alcoholism."

"By the time people get to AA they are usually suffering social problems because of their drinking," he added.

Insiders at Alcoholics Anonymous also revealed that the number of young people joining is rising "significantly". Since January, 18 new AA groups have been set up, bringing the total in Scotland to 905. Groups have been established in areas including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Livingston, Paisley, Balfron in Stirlingshire and St Monans in Fife.

A Glasgow-based insider said: "In the past, the average age of people first attending the fellowship was around 45 but recently drinkers are becoming aware of their alcohol problem much earlier. We are seeing people beginning to attend AA around 20-30 years of age and also have many younger members under 20.

"The rise in female members has also increased greatly and almost matches male members. Membership never goes down. It is always rising."

Another member, John H, said: "AA is the last saloon in town when people have tried everything else because they know it's about stopping drinking. When the organisation started 70 years ago it was for men drinking on park benches. Over the decades the membership has become younger and with more women."

He added: "It's not unreasonable to assume that with the fast technological society we live in, and the number of drugs youngsters are taking at an earlier age, people are going to reach rock bottom earlier than they used to. The general picture is of young women drinking the same as men so they get sober the same as men."

Half of alcoholics who contact AA join the organisation and half of these are still sober a year later. However, as professionals unwound in Edinburgh's bars on Friday night, attitudes about alcohol abuse were largely relaxed and carefree.

Tracey, a 28-year old personal assistant, said: "Truth be told, I probably have too much. This occupational health person came round to our work and one of the things that came up was drink and I had to do a kind of diary of what I drank.

"She was shocked when she worked out I was having about as much each 48 hours as I should have in a week. But hey, what the hell, I'm only young once. I'm going to enjoy it."

Most, however, did not think they had anything to worry about.

Claire, 30, who works in international development, said: "I go out to have a few drinks now and again but I don't think I have a problem. I know what people are talking about when they say that women are drinking too much, but I don't think we're as bad as men.

"Times have changed. When my mother was my age she had four kids - she couldn't be going out like I could."

Her friend Victoria, a 31-year-old public policy executive, said: "I do know friends who put themselves at risk when they drink. They go out and have too much. I don't drink as much as I used to, especially when I was a student. I don't have the time or disposable income for that kind of thing any more."

Lisa, a 30-year-old teacher, added: "I don't drink through the week because I need to have a clear head in the morning. But I think it's OK to go out once a week and have a few drinks with friends."

Alcohol is estimated to cost the economy £6.4bn each year through absenteeism and premature death. A report last week by the charity Alcohol Concern revealed hungover workers in the UK took 17 million sick days in the last year.

Scotsman