High-income professionals, such as doctors, lawyers and city workers, are more likely to visit the bar regularly compared to other workers who earn less, according to an official study in England.
The survey conducted by the U.K.'s Office of National Statistics (ONS) on adult drinking habits has found that 79 percent of professionals earning more than £40,000 (US$54,289) a year had consumed alcohol in the past week.
In comparison, 57 percent of workers who earn between £15,000 (US$20,358) and £19,999 (US$27,143) each year had admitted that they had drank alcohol in the past seven days.
Seventy percent of professionals - including architects and teachers - said that they drank alcohol in the previous week, while 51 percent of manual laborers - such as bar staff and care workers - said the same.
Steve Clarke, an alcohol addiction specialist at the Priory Group's hospital in Surrey, expressed concern that professionals are increasingly using alcohol as a way to get rid of stress.
"We frequently see them drinking dangerous levels to 'self-medicate' for work stress. Professionals regularly drink large glasses of wine that contain three units or more without batting an eye. Then they have a second," Clarke said, according to Daily Mail.
"Middle-class drinkers are unlikely to pay attention to Government health warnings as they may be less likely to believe they get excessively drunk, and can withstand increases in prices," he continued.
The findings also showed that baby boomers - those aged 55-64 - were among the heaviest drinkers in England, with at least 35 percent drinking more than the recommended 14 units a week.
Those between the ages of 16 and 24 were the most likely to be teetotalers, with 25 percent saying they avoid alcohol altogether. The highest proportion of teetotalers were found among those aged over 75 at 27 percent.
The release of the study came as Scotland adopted a law that required a minimum price for alcohol in an attempt to curb heavy drinking.
Some have feared that more than 1,000 will die as a result of alcohol abuse in the next five years if the rest of the U.K. does not introduce similar pricing measures on alcoholic drinks.
Dr. Tony Rao, who works at the Royal College of Psychiatrist as a substance abuse specialist among older people, noted that there has been an increase in hazardous drinking among those aged over 45 since 2005.
"This is a problem that is likely to grow out of control unless we address the affordability and availability of alcohol. Scotland are leading by example today with the introduction of minimum unit pricing, but it's about time we did the same," he said, according to The Independent.
