Light drinkers more likely to feel the pain

TWO-pot screamers are more likely to take a sickie after imbibing than seasoned garglers, new research shows.

A study of sick leave reveals the majority of workers who stay home with a hangover are more likely to be light to moderate drinkers.

This is despite a general workplace trend to focus on staff considered problem drinkers.

The Flinders University study, published in the latest Medical Journal of Australia, reveals almost 2.7 million work days lost in 2001 to alcohol-related illness at a cost of $473 million.

Dr Kenneth Pidd, senior research officer at the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction, said the results were between 12 to 34 times more than previous estimates based on national data.

"Low-risk drinkers and infrequent or occasionally risky and high-risk drinkers accounted for 49-66 per cent of alcohol-related absenteeism," Dr Pidd said.

"Workplace intervention has focused on employees who drink heavily or have been identified as problem drinkers.

"Although these employees are of concern, our results demonstrate that the much larger number of low-risk drinkers and those who drink at risky or high-risk levels relatively infrequently also need to be considered.

"The results highlight the need to take a whole-of-workplace approach when designing and implementing alcohol-related intervention strategies."

By Kelly Ryan, The Herald-Sun.