Ilo Meet To Peg Discussions On Drinking

Moderate liquor drinkers cause much more problems at workplace and are more prone to drink-related accidents than their heavier drinking colleagues, according to a study conducted by the International Labour Office.

As much as 70 to 80 per cent of the alcohol-related incidents like accidents, quarrels, absenteeism and crime take place among those who drink less. An important reason for this is that moderate drinkers are far more numerous than heavy drinkers.

These are some of the issues that will be discussed at a two-day ILO meeting beginning in Geneva on February 3 which will also review a rehabilitation programme which involves participation of both managements and unions to cure various forms of drug abuse.

 

Experts from World Health Organisation, United Nations International Drug Control Programme and private sector managers besides those from the ILO will join the discussion, an ILO release says. The rehabilitation programme has brought about sharp reduction in drug abuse in half of the enterprises where it has been carried out in the past five years, the release says.

Under the study, a workplace is divided into traffic light zones for classifying employees. Workers working in areas with the red light are those that need treatment and rehabilitation, those in the amber zone are workers who require early intervention like counselling and the ones in the green zone are workers who suffer from no addiction.

The ILO study shows that younger workers in the 20-30 age group are most prone to alcohol and drug abuse. Intoxication results in accidents, disputes and absenteeism in the 20-35 age group while the greatest harm drinking in the 35-55 age group in on the physical and mental health of workers.

The study shows that certain occupations including food and beverage service, transportation and marine services are at greater risk of developing alcohol and drug problems among workers.

Among men, the highest rate of abuse is in the recreation, entertainment and construction industries. Among women, the high rates of such abuses are in agriculture, forestry and fishery industries.