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On-the-Job Hangovers Common Among Young Brits
September 3, 2003

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Research Summary

A new survey shows that at least one-third of young professionals employed at leading corporations in Britain are working with hangovers at least twice a week, the Daily Telegraph reported Sept. 1.

In addition, 48 percent of young upscale professionals said they had a hangover at least one working day a week.

As part of a "lifestyle" survey for an herbal hangover remedy, Harry Briggs and Marcus Waley-Cohen interviewed 500 friends, acquaintances, and colleagues from Eton, Oxford, and Edinburgh universities, as well as in London. The participants work in a variety of professions, including banking, law, television, advertising, management consulting, and accounting.

Briggs and Waley-Cohen found that the drinks of choice among young professionals are exotic cocktails and champagne.

"People in their early, and to a lesser extent their late 20s, like to party, and partying involves alcohol -- champagne, cocktails, or vodka and Red Bull, which actually tastes horrid but stops you from falling asleep after you've spent a day at your desk," said Waley-Cohen. "Occasionally, at a country-house party, you'll get smashed from Saturday afternoon until the early hours of Monday. But mostly people are quite sensible about going a bit easy on a work night."

The survey also showed that young female professionals reported having hangovers nearly twice as often as their male colleagues.

"When it comes to Mojitos or Cipriani, the girls easily keep up, drink for drink," said Briggs.

Lee Lixenberg, spokesman for Alcohol Concern, said the results are not surprising. "Alcohol is a disinhibitor and it's certainly not a respecter of class," he said. "Up to 40 million working days are lost each year because of alcohol problems. Class is no guide to the impact that drinking is going to have on a person."

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