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Aussies 'can't handle' booze
11/12/2006 13:03 - (SA)
Sydney - Australians have a reputation as big drinkers but a new report has found many can not handle their hangovers, with Australians claiming more than 2.6 million sick days a year as a result of a night on the booze.
The study of 13 500 Australian drinkers, published in the December issue of the Medical Journal of Australia, found days lost due to alcohol sickness and injuries was costing A$437m (about R2.4bn) a year.
The study by Flinders University in South Australia found
Australia's heavy drinkers managed their hangovers better than light drinkers who claimed a higher number of sick days.
"A large proportion of alcohol-related absenteeism is due to alcohol hangovers, which are more common for light to moderate drinkers than for heavy drinkers," said the study.
It said that more than half of all alcohol-related sick leave was taken by low-risk infrequent drinkers amongst Australia's 20 million population.
"This is due to the much larger numbers of workers who drink at these (low) levels, compared with the number of workers who frequently drink at risky or high-risk levels," said the report.
Australia has a reputation for being a nation of heavy drinkers coming in at number 14 for beer consumption per capita behind Germany, the United Kingdom and Belgium, says the World Health Organisation.
- Reuters
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South Africa
