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Britons drink through redundancy

By Ellie Omahoney on Thursday 11 June 2009

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Wine - News - Marie Claire

People affected by redundancy are hitting the bottle to cope with their new circumstances, research out today reveals.

The survey, of 2,253 adults, was carried out for the charity Drinkaware. Of those surveyed, one in ten said they were drinking more alcohol to help them cope with increased stress. 49% of those admitted to consuming more alcohol during the day than ever before.

71 per cent of people questioned said their increase in drinking was directly linked to redundancy and 61 per cent were worried about it.

Chris Sorek, chief executive of Drinkaware, said: ‘Losing your job is recognised as one of the top ten most stressful life events and many people are turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism. But alcohol is a depressant and can lead to further stress and anxiety, which can make the effects of redundancy much worse.’

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "In the current economic downturn, the potential exists for more people to become anxious or depressed and experience lower levels of mental wellbeing. No one should be left in any doubt about where to turn. That's why in March we announced an extra £13m to speed up the availability of talking therapies and ensure that people who need help can find it wherever they may be.”

For help and advice on cutting your alcohol consumption, visit the Drinkaware website.