Productivity and the Three-Martini Lunch

Watch the AMC series "Mad Men," and you'd think that workplace boozing was key to productivity.

Well, the three-martini lunch may be a thing of the past, but boozing and work still go hand-in-hand in many office cultures. From the company holiday party, to the monthly beer-bash, to the stressed-out employee sneaking a quick one at the pub down the street, hooch has a way of wending its way into workplace life.

But even cheap booze isn't always all that cheap. In fact, alcohol use and abuse can come with a pretty hefty price tag. According to a new study by the Marin Institute, alcohol costs more than $25 billion a year in lost
productivity â€" in California alone.

Also according to the study, the yearly revenue generated by alcoholic beverages in the state is nearly $23 billion. And, while the state takes in about 8 cents in taxes on every drink consumed, that same drink costs the state $2.80.

But what to do about it? We tried prohibition. That didn't turn out so well, and lead to a wave of industrial strength organized crime and violence. The Marin Institute recommends, among other measures, more funding for counties and cities to "prevent alcohol harm," reducing the influence of the "alcohol industry lobbying," and, of course, raising taxes in tippling.

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For more on dealing with office boozing, consult the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's "Alcoholism in The Workplace: A Handbook for Supervisors."

(Image courtesy AMC TV.)