Here's How Many People Are Drinking While Working From Home

Ahh, the joys of working from home. You can't beat the commute, and the dress code is entirely pants-free (or clothing-optional altogether, if your virtual workplace doesn't require Zoom meetings). For a surprising number of people, however, the best part of their new work situation seems to be that working from home means no one can see you drink.

A nationwide survey by Alcohol.org (which, despite its name, is sponsored by American Addiction Centers instead of booze industry lobbyists) was administered to 3,000 American workers in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia (but because all of the data is presented in click-on-the-map format, D.C. is too teeny to make its results easily clickable). While we still have no idea how soused our nation's capital may be, the results from all other states are ... well, interesting, to say the least. 

It would seem that a pandemic brings out perhaps not our best selves, but our true selves. And our true selves, it seems, are not above spiking our morning coffee, and then doing a little (or a lot) of day drinking before it's time for virtual happy hour to begin.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Let's start with the "good kids." The state with the least drinking on the work-from-home job is Arkansas, with only 8% admitting to doing so. This is in line with the findings from SafeHome, which rank Arkansas as the soberest state in the union. Other states with low rates of at-home drinking while working include third-soberest state Mississippi at 13%, along with Delaware and Maine, both coming in at 15%.

On the other side of the coin (and the Pacific Ocean) we have Hawaii, where a whopping 67% of those working from home fessed up to doing so under the influence. (Mmm, fresh pineapple daiquiris.) New Hampshire, the nation's fourth-drunkest state, reported a 50% drinking on the job rate, as did Virginia (ranked at No. 26, smack in the middle, for nationwide alcohol consumption). 

Surprisingly, Oklahoma, ordinarily one of the top five states for sobriety, reported a 41% rate for drinking on the job, while the nation's second-soberest state, Georgia, edged out one of it's drunkest, Wisconsin, for number of workers drinking while working from home: 33% for the Peach State, 32% for the Cheeseheads.

A few other findings uncorked by Alcohol.org's survey include the fact that more than 33% of respondents said they were likely to drink more in isolation, which means, what, that the rest of the day drinkers are just opportunists seizing the day with drink in hand? Also that 20% stockpiled booze for self-isolation, which seems kind of low, but then, most states did classify liquor stores as essential businesses so they stayed open and in some areas you could even get booze delivered or order cocktails to go along with your takeout order.

Finally, in case you were wondering what the work-from-home beverage of choice may be, it's not Bloody Marys or mimosas, or even hard seltzer or hard tea. Nope, it's good old beer (which is surprisingly good for you). 

After all, in the words of that favorite self-isolation anthem, "It's only half-past twelve, but [we] don't care ... It's five o'clock somewhere."