In a survey, 70% of respondents admit their working ability would be affected without a daily dose of coffee

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Journalists are coffee addicts, drinking more cups a day than any other group of "professionals", according to a survey conducted among 10,000 people.

Evidently, 85% of the respondents said they drink at least three cups of coffee a day while some 70% admitted that their working ability would be affected without a daily dose of coffee.

"It seems that drinking coffee is a necessity on the job in a wide variety of professions," noted the Pressat survey researchers. "The highest consumers, sinking over four cups daily, were those with stressful careers: journalists consumed the most, followed closely by police officers and teachers."

They wondered: "Could it be that being overstretched or working late pushed the workforce to consume more caffeine?"

Perhaps journalists should read a research paper published in December last year by South Carolina university, which found that the daily recommended dose should not exceed 200mg of caffeine per day (equivalent to two mugs or four cups of coffee).

It also said that drinking copious amounts of coffee just to get through the stresses and strains of a working day can cause increased risk to health, including strokes and heart problems. But the survey found that 62% of its respondents were unaware of such health risks.

Here, according to the Pressat survey, is the British coffee-drinking league table:

1, Journalists and media staff; 2, Police officers; 3, Teachers; 4, Plumbers and trade workers; 5, Nurses and medical staff; 6, Company executives; 7, Telesales; 8, IT technical support; 9, Retail staff; 10, Drivers.

Sources: Pressat/South Carolina university Hat tip: HoldTheFrontPage