Drunks Wanted

This Week in Blunders – Jan. 19-25

“I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” – Winston Churchill

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“The Alcohol Industry Is Hooked on Its Heaviest Drinkers,” reads a sobering piece that The Wall Street Journal published on Tuesday.

It distills down to this: One fifth of adults account for 90% of U.S. alcohol sales.

These are men who have 15 or more drinks a week and women who have eight or more drinks.

They’re like our new Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who promised not to drink on the job as he battled allegations of alcohol abuse and the kind of sexual misconduct that often accompanies it.

Where have we heard, “I’ll quit drinking,” before? Where have we heard, “Drink Responsibly?”

The latest research declares no amount of alcohol is safe. It causes cancer, and it causes assholes.

I’m going to quit drinking. No, really, I am. … As soon as we get through the next quarter. (Illustration: AI generated.)

Somewhere between 9% and 13% of C-Suite executives have issues with alcohol or substance abuse – but the numbers are likely under reported since functional alcoholics develop cleverly contrived coverup strategies.

[[[[Don’t Miss: The Business Blunders Hall of Shame.]]]

Psychology Today reports that people in fancy suits often get away with it:

“Senior-level executives often don't have to explain themselves, at least not right away, when addictions interfere with professional responsibilities. They also have personal assistants and other resources to cover for them, which may allow their addiction to continue unchecked for an extended period.