WASHINGTON — Lots of people like to have a drink after work, and plenty of people want that drink even more after a long workday or workweek. But new research suggests that those long hours might tempt you to take it too far.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 36 published studies involving more than 430,000 people and concluded that those who work more than 49 hours in a week were up to 13 percent more likely to engage in what the study’s authors called “risky alcohol use” than those who worked 35 to 40 hours a week.
The study, published in the journal BMJ, defined “risky alcohol use” as more than 14 drinks a week for women and 21 for men, according to The Los Angeles Times.
The study doesn’t explain why workaholics drink more, but the researchers’ theories included the following:
- That people think drinking relieves stress.
- That hard workers have a “work hard, play hard” attitude.
- That people who are depressed and prone to heavy drinking take longer to finish their work.
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