Middle classes are 'ignoring the dangers of using casual drinking to combat stress'

NHS figures show that professionals are almost twice as likely to drink heavily than those on lower incomes

Middle class professionals are unaware how they endangering their health by drinking alcohol to relieve stress, researchers warn.

They regard having a glass or two of wine or the odd tipple as a necessary ‘reward’ after a long day at work and looking after their children.

But many seem oblivious to how these small, regular amounts can cause long-term problems including liver damage and certain cancers.

Researchers from the University of Sunderland say there is a ‘common perception’ among the middle-class that drinking at home is safe.

But they warn that this group of individuals may be more prone to alcohol dependency than young binge drinkers who go out every weekend.

Only last month the British Liver Trust warned that rising numbers of ‘everyday drinkers’ – including middle-class adults – were being admitted to hospital with alcohol-related illness.

And NHS figures show that professionals are almost twice as likely to drink heavily than those on lower incomes.

This latest study, published in the journal BMC Public Health, researchers carried out interviews with 49 men and women aged 21 to 55, analysing their drinking habits and reasons for drinking.

They represented five different groups who all worked at least 35 hours a week and were employed either by the public sector, a large tax firm or a chemicals company.

Researchers found that white collar workers, a term used to describe people who have a professional or managerial role, are ‘largely disregarding the harmful health and social effects’ of drinking alcohol.

They found that those middle-class workers who drank at home viewed alcohol as a reward for everyday chores after work hours, such as looking after their children and cooking dinner for the family. Alcohol was also used to alleviate stress.

Researchers found that those middle-class workers who drank at home viewed alcohol as a reward for chores after work hours, such as looking after their children and cooking dinner for the family

Dr Lyn Brierley-Jones, from the University of Sunderland, said: ‘Our research showed a common perception among some middle-class groups that regularly drinking at home, particularly wine, is safe and sensible, even though such drinking regularly takes them over the recommended daily guidelines.

‘These home drinkers don’t see their drinking pattern as problematic, but evidence suggests that such regular drinking will lead to significant health problems later in life, and a major health burden for the NHS.”

Dr Jonathan Ling, Senior Lecturer in Public Health at the university, said: ‘One of the issues that people tend to focus on in relation to alcohol use is “problem drinking”.

‘Problem drinking is usually thought of in terms of young people binge drinking in city centres, or people with alcohol dependency. However, what is starting to be recognised is that regularly consuming alcohol at lower levels than would cause intoxication is likely to be harmful to health, and that the people that drink most regularly aren’t young people, but those who live in households where someone has a managerial or professional job.’

One unnamed volunteer – a father of four – told the researchers: ‘I drink one, because I’ve had a stressful day at work, two because I’ve had a stressful day at home, I have four children so what I do is children things and so then when I do get the kids off to bed sometimes it’s nice to have a drink because it actually makes you feel like an adult again.

Another male volunteer said: ‘I think you probably drink more if you are at home simply because you haven’t got the chew of going up to the bar to buy another drink and losing your seat and all that goes with it, at home you just, I would presume, just sit with the bottle next to you.’

Another male volunteer admitted: ‘I am fully aware of all the information and fully aware of what I should be doing and what I shouldn’t be doing and how I should drink and when I should drink, but I am making a choice. I’ve seen all the education, I don’t think I drink excessively but if you put me on a scale according to the Government I am off the scale.’