Working from home is fuelling a concerning rise in ‘secret drinking’, new survey reveals

Not going into the office and working from home is fuelling a rise in hidden drinking, concerning new research has suggested.  

The trend, examined by the private mental health and addiction service provider The Priory, has enabled more than a quarter of people to drink more alcohol. 

One in six people speculate that someone close to them has increased their drinking since they began working from home, as necessitated by the pandemic. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the uptick in drinking is more prevalent in major cities that are home to the highest earners – with one in three surveyed in London admitting to increasing their consumption. 

Of those earning in excess of £100,000 a year, 43 per cent of those working from home admitted to drinking more than when they went into the office. 

While the latest figures suggest Britons are drinking less alcohol than in decades gone by, as a result of inflation, health concerns and an ageing population, alcohol abuse continues to put an unprecedented strain on health services. 

And despite this marked decrease in alcohol consumption, particularly among younger generations, figures suggest people are still drinking more than the NHS recommended amount of 14 units a week. 

Latest NHS data shows that more adults are now receiving support from drug and alcohol treatment services than at any time in over a decade. 

 In 2023/24 alone more than 30,000 adults in England were receiving help, the highest number on record since 2009. 

Concerningly, the study found that 17 per cent of people sought help for addiction in the past three years, whilst 26 per cent worry about a loved one’s drinking habits.

Debbie Longsdale, a psychotherapist and director of therapy services at The Priory said: ‘With less expectation of being present in person, employees have the freedom to manage their day, work calls and virtual meetings around their schedule – and, as we’re seeing in our addiction therapy programmes, that can also be around their drinking.’ 

Speaking to The Telegraph, she added: ‘As we look to the New Year, we’d encourage everyone to think carefully about any changes in drinking habits over time and resolve to break unhealthy habits before they become an addiction.’ 

Since 2020, when lockdowns enforced the closure of offices across the country, The Priory has seen requests for alcohol treatment services increase by nearly a third. 

The warning comes as some 17.5million people living in the UK embark on Dry January, committing to giving up the booze for the entire month. 

However, experts warn that the trend could result in a ‘binge or bust’ approach to drinking, rather than a sustainable reduction in alcohol consumption. 

Whilst many report feeling better for it – from improved sleep to better mental health – for most, it will not translate into a wider change, experts warn. 

Julian Braithwaite, CEO of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, told the Daily Mail: ‘If you want to change your relationship with alcohol longer–term, a single month of abstinence is not necessarily the answer.

‘Rather than a binge–or–bust approach, we encourage moderate, sustainable habits that let adults enjoy the social benefits of drinking while managing health risks sensibly.’

The NHS recommends people drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week — the equivalent to six pints of beer, or six medium glasses of wine — spread out over at least three days.

However, up the one in four adults in England report drinking over this level.

Those concerned they may have a problem with alcohol should visit their GP, who can make an assessment and refer them to specialist clinics for counselling and help with withdrawal.

Withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, shakiness, vomiting and fast heart rate, usually resolve within a week, according to the NHS.