Posted on 04/17/2002 9:47:47 AM PDT by LarryLied
The more alcohol you drink, the more successful you seem to be, according to research in Alberta.
Chris Auld, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Calgary, is investigating a strange correlation between alcohol and income, as well as other health-related behaviours associated with a person's earning potential.
"People who don't drink at all, or drink very little, make less money than everybody else," he said in an interview. The theory holds true even when other factors that can affect a person's income, such as their age, location and level of education, are statistically controlled.
Previous research has shown that people who drink less than once a month earn about 10% less than people who drink moderately. Some studies also indicate the income of workers who drink at least eight drinks in one sitting each week is significantly higher than that of people who drink less.
Dr. Auld has been awarded part of a $5-million grant from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research for his project. One of his goals is to determine what explains the counterintuitive relationship between drinking and wages.
He already has several theories. It could be that well-paid employees drink to deal with their stress, or that outgoing people who succeed in the workplace tend to socialize more frequently in environments that promote alcohol consumption.
But people eager to move up the corporate ladder should not necessarily flock to bars. The relationship between the two factors may not be one of cause and effect, Dr. Auld stressed.
"One lesson that this highlights is that we need to think a lot more seriously about the sort of relationship we find in observational data, rather than just leaping to the conclusion that cause-and-effect is going on," he said.
"Suppose we ran out and crunched the numbers and found that heavy drinkers made 20% less than moderate drinkers. Then we would conclude, 'Heavy drinking causes a 20% decrease in wages, this is one more reason we should tax and regulate alcohol.'
"If we naively applied that reasoning to the results we actually find, we would conclude the government should go out and subsidize binge drinking behaviour, which is probably not what we actually want to do."
Dr. Auld's research will continue for at least three more years. Another component of his work is the effect of drug and alcohol abuse on student achievement.
Bull. When I made less money I drank the same as I do now, but I bought what I could afford. I said goodbye to Old Milwaukee and Meisterbrau 20 years ago. Now its Fosters and Corona. And now that the warm weather is upon us, a little Southern Comfort on the rocks is a nice way to take the edge off.
Smarter people make more. Smarter people drink more. Therefore drinking is positively correlated with making money.
The reason for this is simple.
Machines which burn hot and work all day need more lubrication than machines which sort of put around at low RPMs.
In my case, I need to lubricate my brain at the end of every day to keep it in top working condition. Others only need to once a week.
Of course, one can over-lubricate an engine, and blow a gasket. Sometimes they are repairable after a few days or weeks rest. Other times they are sent to a place called Alcoholics Anonymous, where machines that have no hope of repair go to learn to deal with life as a broken machine.
It's a way to gather more taxes
"If we naively applied that reasoning to the results we actually find, we would conclude the government should go out and subsidize binge drinking behaviour, which is probably not what we actually want to do."
Dishonest. There's no logical reason why the recommendations should not be symmetric. The only difference is that we're biased to believe that drinking is bad for you.
ROFLMAO - I also had to clean my monitor cause I spit my beer all over it reading your comment!!!!
I'm a non-drinker who hates the taste of alcohol, and have found (through trying drinking upon her urging) that it makes me feel depressed and meloncholy. Not a good thing.
As a result, I don't deal well with bars, and bars are the way many people relax and let their hair down. This has not been good for my social life at all.
So yes, I think I would be happier if I enjoyed alcohol - and maybe even more successful since a lack of networking chutzpah is one of my major deficiencies.
D
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.