What Professions Have the Highest Alcohol Abuse Rates

Researchers have investigated which industries have the highest rate of alcohol addiction. They have classified heavy drinking as more than five or more drinks in one sitting five or more times in a month. They also looked into what professions have the highest rate of drug use. It appears that workers who are employed in construction positions or hard labor are more likely to abuse alcohol, while those that are in food service or in the arts are more likely to consume illegal drugs.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) compiled data gathered from 19 different fields of work and specifically looked at workers aged 18 to 64. The results show that the mining and construction fields have the worst rates of alcohol abuse. Over 15% of employees consume more than five alcoholic beverages in a sitting multiple times a month. This information coincides with reports that show that seasonal hard labor workers are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and in fact have driven the methamphetamine use rate in states like Montana, through the roof. It is unclear exactly why workers who are in construction or mining have a difficult time with alcohol, but some surmise that it may have something to do with being away from families, and the physical demands the work requires of individuals.

Illegal drug use is high among those that work in the restaurant business. Close to 20% of workers abuse drugs like heroin, cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine. People who go into the arts and entertainment field are also more likely to abuse drugs. The report shows that 11.5% of these employees abuse drugs. People who work for the utilities have also reported a high rate of substance abuse, with a 10.3% rate of addiction.

Interestingly, people in management positions ranked high on the list of groups that abuse illegal drugs. 12.1 percent of these people reported illegal drug use. Professions with the least amount of drug and alcohol use are; the healthcare sector and educational providers.