WHILE the destructive effects of too much alcohol are widely reported and binge drinking is a very real problem in the UK – there is evidence to suggest that in moderation, alcohol can be of some benefit.

Scientists in the US discovered that after drinking just two pints of beer or two glasses of wine (just enough to register 0.075 on a breathalyzer), men were better at solving creative brain teasers and answered the questions more quickly than men who were sober.

The Uncorking The Muse study was led by University of Illinois cognitive psychologist Jennifer Wiley, who said: “If you get a little tipsy, people are significantly better at finding weird, remote answers.

“There is a common belief, when we are trying to think or solve problems, that it really helps us to focus on things. Well, sometimes too much focus might hurt us,”

Wiley added.

A quick survey of friends reveals lots of people have noticed how a little ‘Dutch courage’ has helped at work, even if they’re ashamed to admit it. A banker friend insists she ran some of her best training courses while slightly inebriated and even my goody two shoes sister says: “A cheeky glass of red before an interpreting exam in Paris did the trick.”

British darts champion Andy Fordham has admitted that he relied on alcohol as a tool to numb the pressure and was drunk when he won his world title in 2004: “Before my first ever world champs in 1995, I was incredibly nervous, so I drunk shed loads and the worst thing happened: it worked,” he said in 2007.

“It helped the concentration, numbed everything, you weren’t aware of what was going on behind you, you could just concentrate on what was in front of you, the board.

I know it was dreadful for my health, but it just seemed right.”

While boozy office lunches might be a thing of the past (think Mad Men’s lunchtime cocktails and whisky in desk drawers), certain companies, including Google London who have a regular Thank Google It’s Friday (TGIF) event, admit to having beer fridges in the office to recognise the fact their staff work long hours.

In Silicon Valley, the chief executive of app-maker Tello, Joe Beninato, says: “Our philosophy is that if we treat our employees like adults, they’ll respond accordingly.” When an app was chosen for the Apple online store in February, they celebrated with “a little” bourbon.

For some, a drink noticeably gets the creative juices flowing.

Harley Street psychologist Dr Massimo Stocchi (harleystreetpsychology.com) says our ancestors knew the benefits of a glass of wine only too well: “The Romans were the greatest consumers of two natural products: wine and olive oil.

“Not only has this tradition developed into one the of the most widely enjoyed liquids but we have to be constantly reminded of the added benefits of this. A glass of wine (even two) helps your body rid itself of unhelpful fatty deposits and makes life that much more enjoyable when at the table enjoying a great meal feeling connected with the people who mean the most to you.

“The underlying factor most beneficial to us is that this alcohol breaks down social walls of feeling inhibited and closed off, pressing us to become more social and more relaxed in our bodies.

“Most of us carry the script around that we are not good enough. Add a glass or two and hey presto – you forget about being good enough and simply enjoy the interaction that you’re having.”

But there’s a fine line between alcohol enhancing performance and confidence and it becoming a force for evil.

Darts champion Fordham gave up drinking for good in 2007, having been admitted to hospital with advanced cirrhosis of the liver, just one of the myriad health problems alcohol can cause, according to Drinkaware (drinkaware.co.uk), including cancers, stroke, sexual problems and depression.

Clearly for some people, alcohol dependency and long-term abuse can lead to health problems and that can’t be ignored.

Dr Stocchi says: “Be mindful that there is a limit to the dis-inhibited feelings brought on by alcohol – by being aware of your tolerance levels (check in with someone else to see that you’re not making a fool of yourself) you will be seen to be more sociable, more relaxed and taking the moral of the story to heart – that there is a more confident and definitely good enough person under your skin.”

While we probably shouldn’t reinstate the Mad Men work drinking culture and as much as we should remember that “a little of what you fancy does you good”, it’s the other old cliche we need to fall back on here: “everything in moderation”.

However, public health experts in Worcestershire advise caution about misuse of alcohol because of the harm it does to the health of the individual (liver problems, high blood pressure, increased risk of various cancers and heart attack are some of the numerous harmful effects of alcohol) but also the damage it does to relationships and society in general in terms of violence and crime, accidents and drink driving.

Recent estimates for Worcestershire suggest that over three quarters of the population are drinking within safe levels (not regularly exceeding 2-3/3-4 units daily).

However, the remainder of the population are drinking at increasing and high risk levels meaning that they are regularly drinking above safe limits.

There were almost 6,000 known alcohol-related offences in Worcestershire, constituting 16.3 per cent of the total crime while 21 per cent of child protection conferences in Worcestershire involved parental alcohol use.

As many as half of homeless people in Worcestershire could have alcohol problems.