One in two people in Scotland have been harmed because of someone else’s drinking, according to a new report.
The Alcohol Focus Scotland study also found that one in three people report having heavy drinkers in their lives.
The charity is calling for more to be done to raise awareness about the negative impact someone’s drinking can have on others and its potential to cause distress and harm.
Dr Evelyn Gillan, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: “Our research shows just how far-reaching alcohol harm is. One in two Scots are affected in some way by other people’s drinking.
“This can range from feeling uneasy at aggressive behaviour on the bus, picking up the slack at work because a colleague has called in sick with a hangover or children living with heavy drinking parents, and the strain this inevitably places on family life.
“Many of these problems are not being reported, either because they are simply tolerated or because they are going on behind closed doors.
“When people began to understand the negative effects of passive smoking, action was taken. It’s time we started to think beyond the individual drinker to consider how we can protect people from the second hand effects of drinking.”
The study found that those who know heavy drinkers are more likely to report harm from others in private settings such as at home, or with neighbours or friends.
Dr Gillan said it is important to ensure individuals, families, workplaces and communities that are being negatively affected by other people’s drinking receive the support they need.
She also called for measures such as minimum pricing to tackle the widespread availability and promotion of cheap alcohol.
l The report, Unrecognised and Under-reported: The Impact of Alcohol on People other than the Drinker in Scotland, was commissioned by Alcohol Focus Scotland in 2012 and involved 1,007 adults.