Promoting alcohol awareness in the workplace

Alcohol misuse in Scotland costs £3.5billion every year – equivalent to £900 for every taxpayer, and is a significant cause of employee absence and lost productivity to employers as well as causing stresses and strains on managers and colleagues. A quarter of accidents at work are reported as being alcohol-related, while 45% of male and 28% of female heavy drinkers report that the after-effects of their drinking affected their work in the past.

In the run up to the festive season many workplaces choose to raise awareness of sensible drinking and promote awareness around alcohol use. Further information is available from Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Focus Scotland.

You can order leaflets, posters and resources to support a workplace campaign on alcohol awareness from the Health Promotion Information and Resource Centre – browse the catalogue here. If you have any problems accessing this website email [email protected] and the team will be able to help.

There are some great interactive resources such as replica drinks and anti drink drive goggles available to borrow – get in touch with us if you need some ideas about how to use these in your workplace!

The Health Scotland VLE has a module on Alcohol and Drugs in the Workplace and training is also available for line managers and supervisors on this topic in the Health Promotion Training programme. The next session is 14^th February 2018 – click here for more info and to book.

Implementing an organisational policy on alcohol and drug use is a key strategy for workplaces to deal with alcohol issues in the workplace. Healthy Working Lives can provide guidance on how to do this effectively. If you would like more information about this please contact us by emailing [email protected].

In Fife support organisations such as Fife Alcohol Support Service can provide advice and support for individuals experiencing issues with alcohol and drugs. Contact information for other sources of local support can be found in the Keeping Connected directory. If you require any further information or advice on local support organisations please get in touch: