Middle class professionals who drink at home are the biggest problem drinkers because they think they know better than health experts, new research claims.
The study found widespread evidence that white collar workers consider alcohol - especially wine - an everyday reward for chores such as cooking dinner or putting their children to bed, as well as to combat the stress of office life.
There was also a common perception among the group that they could ignore health warnings and that regularly drinking at home is safe and sensible, even if their intake exceeded recommended guidelines.
The researchers claim the study shows the need for an overhaul of government messages about safe drinking, which currently focus more on the impact of binge drinking and anti-social behaviour.
In fact, the study - in the journal BMC - found that these public health warnings “actively reinforced” the view among the middle classes “that their own drinking was problem-free”, because the campaigns tended to depict problems associated with young people drinking.
Source: Jasper Copping, Irish Independent, 09/05/13
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