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One in four regret drunken behaviour at Christmas

One in four regret drunken behaviour at Christmas

 

Source: The Spirits Business

by Melita Kiely

11th December, 2015

 

Drinkaware is warning revellers to watch how much alcohol they drink over Christmas, as research shows one in four regret drunken behaviour over the festive season.

 

The research was carried our by Opinion Matters on behalf of the alcohol education charity and showed 26% of adults have regretted something they did at a work Christmas party after drinking too much.

 

The top five regrets were kissing or trying to kiss a colleague (37%), criticising a superior or colleague (24%), being aggressive with a colleague (17%), over sharing personal issues (15%), and drinking too much and passing out from alcohol (13%).

 

Furthermore, 13% of workers confessed to pulling a sick day following the office Christmas party – the majority of whom were men (17%) compared to women (10%).

 

What’s more, more than half of those absences were due to embarrassment or regret over their behaviour the night before (57%), while 36% were simply too hungover to go to work.

 

On a more serious note, approximately 50% of those who criticised their boss or superior and around 62% of those who acted aggressively were issued with warnings for their actions.

 

“The festive season is a time to socialise with colleagues but as our research shows many of us may end up drinking more than we intended to, risking our health and potentially our professional reputation,” said Elaine Hingal, chief executive of alcohol education charity Drinkaware.

 

“The more alcohol you drink, the more vulnerable you are to risky or even dangerous situations.

 

“Try making every other drink a soft one and avoid drinking in rounds to help you to drink at your own pace.”

 

Drinkaware also offered additional tips for “drinking less and staying safe” over the Christmas season, including downsizing drinks, not drinking on an empty stomach, sticking together in pairs or as a group (aimed at both men and women), planning your journey home and keeping warm.