By Leonard Toenjes

Q: I like to go to after-hour events to circulate, keep our name in the industry and meet people. However, I sometimes feel a little uncomfortable about something: drinking. These events usually involve alcohol. I am not a drinker and do not present myself well even after a little alcohol. I also have a history of alcoholism in my family. At the same time, I don’t want to appear to be “not one of the guys” and fear my concern is holding me back from putting my best forward. In the past I have drunk soft drinks because they look like alcohol. But then when someone asks if I want another, it comes out that I am drinking just a soft drink. What should I do? What are your thoughts?

A: At the hundreds of events I attend in a year’s time, I have noticed a big shift in the construction industry—and many industries for that matter—related to alcohol.

When I first entered the white-collar side of the industry, a drink or two at lunch was almost expected. After hours was the same as you described above, that environment of “being one of the guys.”

But several things have changed this significantly.

First, the widespread awareness of the need for substance abuse testing in the industry to improve safety has changed alcohol consumption. Many firms have adopted company-wide substance-abuse testing, including both craftworkers and white collar workers.

Many times recently, I have seen individuals beg off of that cocktail or beer because of random substance-abuse testing. This has led to more understanding of others in the industry.

Second, unless you have a designated driver, there has been a positive impact by various substance abuse organizations, such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving and others, to highlight the problems of driving while intoxicated. This is certainly another defense to use when being pressured to “just have one.’

Armed Against Alcohol

Being armed with one or more of these alcohol facts may help you deflect some of the pressure next time you are in an uncomfortable social situation.

• More than 100,000 U.S. deaths are caused by excessive alcohol consumption each year. Direct and indirect causes of death include drunk driving, cirrhosis of the liver, falls, cancer and stroke.

• At least once a year, the guidelines for low-risk drinking are exceeded by an estimated 74% of male drinkers and 72% of female drinkers aged 21 and older.

•Nearly 14 million Americans meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol-use disorders.

• Among current adult drinkers, more than half say they have a blood relative who is or was an alcoholic or problem drinker.

• More than 18% of Americans experience alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence at some time in their lives.

• Traffic crashes are the greatest single cause of death for persons who are 6 to 33 years old. About 45% of these fatalities are in alcohol-related crashes.

• Problem drinkers average four times as many days in the hospital as nondrinkers—mostly because of drinking-related injuries.

• Alcohol kills 6.5 times more youth than all other illicit drugs combined.

Finally, if you want to try to look like “one of the guys” in this way while maintaining sobriety, I have resorted on these occasions to non-alcoholic beer. When poured in a glass, it certainly has the appearance and can be sipped for a long time. The classic of club soda in a glass with a lime wedge is another good disguise.

As the old saying goes, “There is many a slip between the cup and the lip.” Better to stay sober and make a positive presentation of your image than be “one of the guys” and loose a job or worse.

Do you have questions on construction human resources, safety or management? E-mail them to Leonard Toenjes at ltoenjes@agcstl.org or craig_barner@mcgraw-hill.com. If Len picks your question, he will answer it in a future issue of Midwest Construction.)