Recent studies have concluded that women now drink as much alcohol as men. This is true globally as well as in the United States. The leading reasons for the surge in drinking by women are drinking culture, affordability and accessibility, and increased marketing targeted at women.
The Global Outlook
A global study published in the journal BMJ Open by researchers at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre of the University of New South Wales, Australia examined the consumption habits of 4 million people over 100 years. Specifically, the equalization of male and female drinking habits. At the top of the century, men drank more alcohol than women. By the end of the century, between 1991 and 2000, the genders were almost the same.
Closer to Home: The National Outlook
In America, both alcohol consumption by women and excessive drinking by women has increased causing alcohol related deaths and alcohol abuse disorders. According to the Washington Post, in 2013, more than 3 million women received emergency room treatment for severe intoxication. In 2015, 8% of all deaths of white women between the ages of 35 and 54 was caused by alcohol use.
Alcohol Consumption is More Harmful to Women
Women have a higher fat to water ratio in their bodies than men. Thus, women are unable to tolerate alcohol like men do because the amount of alcohol in the female body is more concentrated and the female liver is smaller. Compared to men, it is much harder for women to process alcohol in their bodies safely.
Drinking Culture Promotes Excessive Alcohol Consumption
The Australian study found that the drinking culture now includes women. Particularly, the numbers of college educated women in careers traditionally occupied by men, drinking at lunch, during meetings, or after work at happy hours continue to rise. Women in management and professional jobs drink more than the average woman and more on weekdays. This is especially true for millennial women who also tend to “pre-load,” or drink before a night out. Among young adults the alcohol gap among males and females is virtually non-existent.
Real Life Tragedy
In January, four fraternities at Texas State University in San Marcos were suspended following the death of a sorority member for alcohol-related violations. It is alleged that the sorority member was found dead the morning after she was dragged 500 feet by a bus that was transporting students to and from a river for an off-campus river tubing social event. The student was 20 years old.
Contact a Texas DWI Defense Attorney
The Law Office of Kimberly Griffin Tucker represents people charged with DWI crimes in Plano, Texas and the surrounding areas. If you or someone you know has been arrested for driving while intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Texas, contact us to schedule a detailed case evaluation.
(image courtesy of Sergio Alves Santos)