The Hindu Business Line : Pop a pill and hang your hangover

THE day-after syndrome is getting more common. While you cannot stop your people from partying, the best you can do is help them get to work focussed as ever. This is the subtle message Herbal Science is conveying to HR managers and employers across the country.

In its new promotion effort for PartySmart, the anti-hangover pill, Herbal Science is using the `responsible work culture' pitch to talk to employees. According to Mr Humayun Farid, Vice-President, Operations and Marketing, Herbal Science, in a 2,000-people sampling study showed that about 50 per cent of employees were partying on any given day. And about 25 per cent of them reported a hangover at least twice a month, which in turn affected at least one session at work.

Though monetary figures for loss of productivity in the country are not readily available, a look at other economies could be indicative of where India stands: Not really far behind. For instance, Australia has reported loss of $2 billion per annum due to hangovers, Canada about $1.5 billion, UK about £2 billion and the US about $2,000 per working adult per year.

Mr Farid says, "Though chemists who stock PartySmart have started recommending the product to customers and sell about three strips a day, we felt that awareness can be enhanced through co-workers and employees." Endorsements by friends and associates and word-of-mouth promotions have always worked better for lifestyle products like PartySmart.

PartySmart was developed by Himalaya Drug Co and is being marketed by Herbal Science. Since its launch in May 2005, about 7,00,000 people have tried this herb-based hangover preventive and Mr Farid looks forward to a growth of 10 per cent every month. At Rs 10 a pill and with an increasing number of women and younger people getting into the partying circuit, this should not be difficult.

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