Bar staff most at risk of drink-related death

Bar staff and female office juniors are around twice as likely to die from alcohol-related problems as people in the general population, figures out yesterday showed.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released data showing that bar staff were the most likely workers in England and Wales to suffer an alcohol-related death.

Male bar staff were 2.23 times as likely to die that way as members of the general population, while female bar staff were 2.03 times as likely.

Seafarers, including merchant navy workers, were the second highest-risk group among male workers - being 2.16 times more likely to die that way.

Among women, publicans and bar managers were 1.93 times more likely to die from an alcohol-related problem, while female junior office workers were 1.92 times more likely. Female actors and entertainers were 1.85 times more likely to die that way.

The figures cover people aged 20 to 64 and are for the period 2001 to 2005.

ONS figures published in November showed that alcohol-related death rates in the UK have almost doubled since 1991, from 4,144 to 8,386 in 2005.

Today's figures on female officer workers relate to the "classic office junior", according to the ONS. These staff carry out tasks such as photocopying, delivering the mail around the office and data entry.

A spokeswoman for the ONS said these workers tended to be younger.

Frank Soodeen, from Alcohol Concern, said: "Women who work can often afford to drink more and, particularly for those working in male-dominated occupations, an existing heavy drinking culture can be an additional risk factor."

The ONS data further revealed other workers at higher risk of an alcohol-related death. Male middle-ranking civil servants were 1.89 times more likely to die that way than average, male musicians were 1.56 times more likely, male floorers and wall tilers were 1.59 times more likely and men working in security such as bouncers and bailiffs were 1.67 times more likely.

Among women, hairdressers were 1.46 times more likely to die from an alcohol-related problem than average while waitresses were 1.59 times more likely and chefs and cooks 1.24 times more likely.

However, male farmers were less than half as likely to die that way as average members of the population, while members of the clergy were half as likely. Other low-risk groups for men included driving instructors and taxi drivers. For women, educational assistants, primary and nursery teachers and childminders were among the groups at lowest risk.

Ester Romeri, who presented the data on behalf of the ONS, said possible reasons for the higher figures for bar staff were social pressure to drink at work, low levels of supervision, separation from family members and the recruitment of people who were already heavy drinkers.

Professor Martin Plant, an alcohol addiction expert from the University of the West of England, said: "There are often common characteristics related to the likelihood of drinking and therefore alcohol-related deaths. What is important is whether the occupation has a drinking culture, the availability of alcohol and the toleration of drinking at work."

Between 2001 and 2005 there were almost 23,000 alcohol-related deaths among people aged 20 to 64 in England and Wales, the study said.

There were more than twice as many deaths among men (15,436) as women (7,477) over the period.

The Guardian