Holiday Work Parties Are Not About Getting Drunk

By ASAP Staff

The holidays are upon us and that means, among other things, holiday work parties with festive music, drinking, great food, more drinking, and gift exchanges followed by drinking. There is no doubt that this is the season when many people consume a lot of alcohol, thanks in part to holiday parties.

According to Alcohol.org: “While nearly 65 percent of U.S. companies hold some holiday or end-of-the-year office party, more than half include alcohol at their event, and only 47 percent of those companies say they regulate the amount of booze their employees consume.”[i]

While marijuana may be the number one illicit drug of choice in America, alcohol consumption is by far the most used drug. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 61.4 million people ages 12 or older (or 45.6%) reported binge drinking[ii] in the past month, including 33.6 million males ages 12 and older (24.3% in this age group) and 27.8 million females ages 12 and older (19.2% in this age group). This compares to 21.8% from the same age group who admitted to using marijuana in the past year.[iii]

As such, a company drug testing policy should also include a section on alcohol consumption while on company premises, during company time, and while at company events, including holiday parties. In a survey of 1,400 Americans, 88% stated that they drink alcohol at company parties and 20% admitted to binge drinking at these events. And too much alcohol consumption can lead to saying inappropriate things, illness, sexual harassment and drunk driving (“drunk driving is connected to binge drinking in 85 percent of cases” according to Alcohol.org).[iv]

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism offers the following general advice which is perfectly appropriate for employers:

• Offer a variety of alcohol-free drinks—water, juices, sparkling sodas.
• Create a fun mocktail menu for employees to have safe alternatives to consuming alcohol.
• “Help your guests [employees] get home safely if you chose to offer alcoholic beverages—use designated drivers and taxis.”[v]

In summary, if your company is going to host a holiday party where alcohol will be available, make the event about more than just drinking. For employers it is a time to show appreciation for employees, letting everyone have a good time, but also making sure everyone gets home safely to enjoy the rest of the holidays with their friends and families. Consider a work luncheon with fun interactive games with employees, eliminating alcohol from t he party and keeping peace of mind for all.

Contact the ASAP for help in updating your company drug testing policy to include a section on alcohol consumption by employees.

[i] Office Holiday Parties. Alcoho.org. January 2023. https://alcohol.org/guides/office-holiday-parties/

[ii] “The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which conducts the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), defines binge drinking as consuming five or more beverages containing alcohol for males or four or more beverages containing alcohol for females on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other) on at least one day in the past 30 days, regardless of frequency in the past year.” https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohol-topics/alcohol-facts-and-statistics/glossary

[iii] Overall Highlights for 2023 NSDUH.  https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH%202023%20Annual%20Release/2023-nsduh-main-highlights.pdf

[iv] Office Holiday Parties.

[v] Alcohol’s Effects on Health. Research-based information on drinking and its impact. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/truth-about-holiday-spirits