Led annually by UK charity Alcohol Change UK, Alcohol Awareness Week runs from 7-13 July 2025 and this year’s theme is ‘alcohol and work’.
Around 10 million of us are regularly drinking alcohol in ways that can harm our health and wellbeing. From headaches, hangovers and sleepless nights to lower productivity and symptoms like anxiety and depression worsening over time, alcohol affects us in so many ways.
At the same time, the world of work is constantly changing. Lots of us are working longer hours, feeling more stress and experiencing a blurring of lines between work and home, while alcohol-centric workplace cultures are still a reality for so many. Moving in and out of work, whether planned or unplanned, can also affect us and our drinking habits – from unemployment and retirement to parental leave and caring responsibilities. These transitions can sometimes leave us feeling unsettled, bored, isolated and lonely, causing us to drink more alcohol and face additional challenges with our physical and mental health, relationships, finances and more.
Whether it’s Friday night drinks, networking events, or rewards, alcohol often takes centre stage at workplace socials leaving us feeling pressured or excluded for not drinking. On tough days, it can be tempting to turn to alcohol to try to cope with stress or anxiety but this can worsen the symptoms and make us feel worse the next day. Whether it’s freelancing, volunteering or studying, we can all feel the effects of drinking in a similar way.
That’s why, from offices and factories to shift-work and front-line services, this year’s Alcohol Awareness Week seeks to unravel the complex relationship between alcohol and work and celebrate the benefits that individuals, organisations and communities can unlock through fostering healthier, safer and more respectful workplace cultures across different industries, sectors and types of work.
You can also head over to our alcohol support page to check if your alcohol intake is more than the recommended levels by taking a quick, confidential Audit C test to assess your risk level.