Alcohol Prevention in German Workplaces

Alcohol and drug abuse in the workplace is creating increasing concern in German public and private companies. There is also an increasing agreement that the workplace is an appropriate place to intervene in the process of misuse of and addiction to psychoactive substances. Overall, men and women between the ages of 30 and 50 are the largest demographic group to consume alcoholic beverages. The majority of drivers on our roads come from their ranks: they are supervisors and breadwinners, and they pass their behaviour on as role models. World Health Organization research has shown that some 70 per cent of the male population are slipping through the cracks of our health‐care system and only rarely see a doctor between the ages of 20 and 50. But this age group – which also has the highest incidence of alcohol and drug abuse – can best be reached through the workplace.