Wealthy Women Waiting For Wine O'Clock

The middle classes are the worst problem drinkers in Scotland for binge drinking during the week.

That's according to a recent Scottish Health Survey of nearly 4,700 adults.

The findings show, last year, almost a third of middle class men and fifth of women drink more than the number of recommended units of alcohol per week.

These drinkers are in the top 20 per cent of household incomes, roughly equivalent to a couple with joint earnings of £50,000.

Associated risks include cancer, cardiovascular disease and liver damage.

Jim Bett, service manager at Kirkcalkdy-based Fife Alcohol Support Service

(FASS) stated that "This is a wake-up call for all those people who open a bottle

of wine when they get home from work, especially as this Survey shows that

professionals are the most likely to drink to hazardous and harmful levels."

Another recent survey, this time by Glasgow Caledonian University found that

working women aged between 30 and 50 to be increasingly reliant on "wine

o'clock" - the time when they consume their first drink of the day.

Public Health Minister Maureen Watt stated that "Alcohol misuse is not a

marginal problem restricted to one section of society. We remain absolutely

committed to tackling Scotland's difficult relationship with alcohol head up."

Jim Bett summed up the problem by noting that "There has been a very slight

decrease in the weekly alcohol consumption for both men and women since last

year, but this does not mean that anybody should be complacent about alcohol

abuse and mis-use, especially when, as a society we make it all too easy for

people to drink to excess. This is exactly where the counsellors at FASS can

prove to be so very helpful to those in distress."