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Square Mile tackles ‘high functioning’ drink and drug addicts

City workers who regularly drink or use drugs can see themselves as a breed apart from the stereotypical addict

The boozy lunch is part of life in the Square Mile, but it can mask addiction in some City employees
The boozy lunch is part of life in the Square Mile, but it can mask addiction in some City employees Photo: Getty Images

Finance's reputation as an industry of long boozy lunches and drug-fuelled nights out stretches back decades. And despite the emergence of the uber health-conscious worker arriving at the office in their lycra, the City still plays home to its share of regular drinkers and recreational drug takers - most of whom see themselves as a breed apart from the stereotypical addict.

"Look at a rough sleeper with a can of something. That’s the image most people have as having a problem with alcohol," said Laura Morton, operations manager at Square Mile Health. "If that’s your perception, you’re never going to [consider you] have a problem with alcohol until or unless you turn into the vision."

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