But there are some remedies

Jan 12, 2006 13:45 GMT  ·  By

Curios to find out how many Americans drink at the workplace or show up with a hangover, Buffalo University researchers carried out a study which revealed that 15% of the workforce (or 19.2 million employees) in the US consumes alcohol and suffers from the effects.

After interviewing by phone 2.805 employees and extrapolating the findings to the entire population, Michael R. Frone, study author, claimed that 2.3 million workers (1.8 percent of the workforce) have consumed alcohol at least once before coming to work and 8.9 million workers (7.1 percent of the workforce) have drank alcohol at least once during the workday.

"Of all psychoactive substances with the potential to impair cognitive and behavioral performance, alcohol is the most widely used and misused substance in the general population and in the workforce. The misuse of alcohol by employed adults is an important social policy issue with the potential to undermine employee productivity and safety," Michael R. Frone said.

Frone also estimated that 2.1 million workers (1.7 percent of the workforce) worked under the influence of alcohol and 11.6 million workers (9.2 percent of the workforce) worked with a hangover.

However, if you really had to go to a place of debauchery or stopped to a bar for a 'refreshing beverage' during a lunch break on a hot summer day, we are able to provide some advice so that you stay away from the unpleasant effects.

First of all, be careful when your spirits are poured; even professional bartenders tend to put 20 to 30 percent more into short, squat glasses than into tall, thin ones, and this is due to the optical illusion that vertical lines are longer than horizontal ones.

And if you want to reduce the second day effects, try some honey or, if you don't have that, drink a glass of milk before the ethylic cataclysm. In addition, when the night is over, one pint of water is recommended.