Lyre's for high risk professions

Modern workplaces have increasingly stringent controls on alcohol consumption.

This is even more the case in industries where the safety of workers and the public is at stake.

These same jobs often involve difficult working conditions, pressures, and demands, such that a post-work debrief over a couple of drinks is all the more important.

Flight attendant Alice, 37, says the work routine of flight and cabin crew can be very lonely, isolating, and draining.

"There is definitely a culture of drinking to 'blow off some steam', but we obviously need to be very careful in navigating that to ensure we are not over the limit for flying," she says.

"Flying regulations are very clear that crew must not enter an aircraft while intoxicated, and we are all subject to random drug and alcohol testing."

Alice says the rule of thumb in aviation is, "eight hours from bottle to throttle", meaning crew need to allow at least eight hours from their last drink prior to boarding their flight.

But she says flight crew typically start to moderate their behavior as they get older, finding they can no longer 'bounce back' like they used to.

Enter Lyre's Non-Alcoholic Spirits, which enables career-minded people to socialize with the same great-tasting drink, minus the booze.

"Having alternatives like this would be super helpful in our profession, so we can still have some downtime at the bar without having to worry about flying the next day," says Alice.

Alcohol consumption is also fraught for health professionals, who have strict responsibilities not to practice while under the influence.

Specialist doctor John, 45, also welcomes Lyre's arrival as a substitute for medical workers' favorite alcoholic spirits.

He says there is a culture of socializing over alcohol in the healthcare sector, which often involves many years of training.

"There are few jobs that involve the intense stresses experienced in the daily practice of medicine," says John.

"Many of us are confronting an excessive workload and dealing with fear of failure.

"Unsurprisingly, people often try to wind down over a few drinks. But I think it's the social interaction we crave more than the alcohol itself."

Stephanie, 31, has only worked in mining for the last year but has already witnessed her employer tightening its workplace drug and alcohol policy.

"The first few weeks that I worked there, it was just random breath tests. But then they set up machines so that everyone has to do mandatory testing every day," she says.

"You have to blow zero to get through the gate. There's a self-tester machine there also, so if you've had a few too many the night before and you're not sure, they stress to you to do that one first, and if you blow over the limit, you should turn around and call in sick.

"Otherwise, you can say goodbye to your job if you put yourself at risk of walking up and blowing numbers at the gate.

"It's a cardinal rule that you do not blow over zero for the alcohol test."

But while mining work has forced Stephanie to cut down her drinking, she can certainly understand the reasoning behind the policy.

"I'm like one and a half kilometers underground working around big machinery," she says.

"And it is a very hot mine, so I guess if you're trying to keep on top of hydration, you're probably in a better place if you steer clear of alcohol."

When she first started the job, Stephanie says she would limit herself to only a couple of drinks if she was socializing during the working week.

"But lately I have pretty much decided I don't want to drink at all if I have to work, it's just too big a risk," she says.

"You know what it's like, you have a couple and you always want a few more."

Stephanie says she only recently learned about the Lyre's Non-Alcoholic Spirits alternatives to gin and rum, which are her preferred tipples.

"I think it's a great idea for if I wanted to say I was drinking and not actually be drinking," she says.

"There is always the pressure of everyone saying, 'why aren't you having a drink?'"

Alcohol might be off the menu, but socializing needn't be. Try Lyre's Non-Alcoholic Spirits for booze-free alternatives to your favorite drinks.