To wonder why young women are drinking so much?

[TabithaStephens]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23358078

Why are so many young women drinking more than they did in the past? From the women I know, I think the figures for women born in the 80s and 90s will be even worse than the current ones for women born in the 70s. Is it down to the pressures of modern life? Were women formerly expected not to drink to excess and now those expectations are not there so women are drinking more?

Men still drink more but seemingly less than they did in the past. Are the sexes just coming closer together in their drinking?

Or maybe they just enjoy it? It can be as simple as that. No need to judge.

Because that was the first cohort with even a sensible sniff of freedom?

I think that women are drinking because they want to, and because finally they have their own money and life to do so.

They're still drinking a lot less than the men (or it's having lot less of an effect according to that article) - in this instance, they should perhaps concentrate on why people in general or men in particular are drinking so much rather than turning it into a women's issue - because the men have far more of a problem than the women

Hard drinking in women is seen as being commendable. Some women pride themselves on how much they can 'hold'. It's incredibly dangerous and yes of course we need to judge this. Women my age (36) are drinking themselves to death, knackering relationships and fertility in the process. It's incredibly serious and what's really scary is that people do not want to hear this. Try suggesting on this board that women drink too much and you will get an avelanche of women lining up to defend their 'few' glasses of wine. Neglecting to mention that they're recyling a small mountain of bottles every week. Mind you easy for me to say because I barely drink at all. Whatever else kills me it won't be booze.

I think it's just been ingrained in our culture that come Friday, Saturday nights, lots of people get dressed up and go out to socialise in bars and clubs which involve drinking alcohol. People get married and have children etc and gradually move away from this kind of lifestyle but some are by then unable to. My mother has a drink problem and this is what happened to her. Her friends grew up and stopped staying out all night and drinking heavily but she was an addict by this point and really struggled to do the same.

Because it is better than reading sanctimonious reports on the BBC website?

Partly because no one is stopping them, and few people are educating them about the dangers.

I find it strange that people say on MN that people are going to live longer and longer.
What with drinking and overeating, I sincerely doubt it. Or if they do, there will be health issues attached to the longer life.

It's not sanctimonius to cover a report that says more women are dying now from alcohol related causes. That's a fact. That's a risk that personally as a woman born in the 70s I'm pleased to know about.
I would like to know more about when serious liver disease is being diagnosed in these women. I wonder if diagnosis is significantly later in women than men (and mortality higher) because there is a perception that liver disease is a male problem and perhaps women's drinking isn't being sufficiently explored at primary care level?

Amd they dont want to be told what to do.
And think that if there is going to be a problem in their 30's, that oh well, they will deal with that then.
So meanwhile fun fun.

I think as well that for people born in 90s and 80s mental health is still not taken seriously enough, but in 70s it was even worse with less rights in tge workplace for women - the two people I know with serious drink issues used it almost as a form of self medication. (one in a bad relationship, one just couldnt cope with work stress etc) and it just escalated

Most people dont northernlurker.
They dont want to know thank you very much.
And of course there is the issue that some of them are using alcohol to try and blot out their troubles.

I knew when I heard this on the radio this morning that some people would be all up in arms and "laydees aren't laydees any more!"

Obviously it's not good that more people are getting ill because of drinking, but really it's a no brainer. If a particular group starts drinking more then they will be more at risk from alcohol related illnesses.

I'm not sure it's going out boozing. I think it's sitting home boozing.

My mother would never have dreamt of drinking alone at home but I would open a bottle if wine. And I drink very little when I hear colleagues talking, many of them seem to have wine every night.

I'm 36.

Because they like to paaaaaarty?

Because women are financially more independent and there are almost no pubs with men-only mentality; wine bars/cocktail places target women and there's a huge choice of booze that tastes sweeter than real ale or whisky.

It's perfectly socially acceptable for women to drink. It's a badge of honour to be lashed most weekends for many.

It's more acceptable and safer than illegal drugs, and eating your body weight in comfort foods.

It's seen, if it's in a nicely-shaped chilled glass and there's an olive or two nearby, as sophisticated and normal, ooh, continental even.

Cocktails make you feel liberated and SATC-ish.

Your mates all do and there's nothing more bonding than telling someone you love then at 3am, while opening another cheeky bottle.

It's become a huge part of the UK female experience.

I can't say it's hugely enlightening, attractive, sophisticated, or clever.

It's a physical time bomb, getting wankered on a regular basis, as well as making you spectacularly dull company.

Those I know (myself included in a previous life) who drink the most and get very aggressively defensive about it are usually the ones who feel sad and empty and drink heavily to make up for life's disappointments.

But saying so out loud is social suicide.

Men have always drank, some heavily and dangerously. Far fewer women did because it wasn't socially acceptable and they didn't have that freedom. Now they do, and the means some women take that too far, just as some men do.

I don't think it says anything about women as a whole except that we have more choices these days.

Because now its more socially acceptable to do what men have always done. Binge drinking in general, not just women, should be discouraged.

I think advertising alcohol should be banned outright. Minimum pricing was a good idea, shame it was scrapped. I think the Swedes and Canadians have it right with their government controlled off licences. Supermarkets should not be able to sell alcohol off the shelf.

I agree with FruitSalad

I don't think it says anything about women as a whole except that we have more choices these days.

"Now both men and women can have alcoholic liver disease and all the other harmful effects of alcohol."
Yay for equality...

Actually alcohol consumption is declining in all age groups and has been for a decade. Sadly what I suspect we are seeing with the report (which I note only goes up to 1979 births) is the after-effects of the height of binge culture (late 90s, early 00s).

it's cheap

when i was younger it was quite expensive to buy booze, shots weren't really available as they are now either. it's also more socially acceptable to get off your face, no one really cares how drunk people get.

i also think that there is a real lack of places to go in the evening that doesn't involve alcohol.

saying that though i know alot of young women who don't drink at all.

The article doesn't say how the numbers for young women dying alcohol-related deaths compares to young men, and clicking on the link to the article gets me just to a login page.

More men die of alcohol related causes than women, but the figures for men are falling, but the figures for women are rising.

I think it's partly an unintended consequence of equality. Throughout history the pattern can be seen repeating itself. When an oppressed group starts to achieve equality, there is always a period where the worst parts of being the 'superior' group are emulated by the up-and-coming group. It's the same reason why female-on-female street violence is on the rise, etc.

Also, Britain has always (as far back as the Celts) had a slightly different relationship with alcohol compared to the continent. The tradition of so-called binge drinking is not a new phenomenon at all in the UK.

It does need tackling. I am never going to be a tee-totaller and will on occasion indulge in a bit of binge drinking myself. I used to do it a lot more pre DC. However, 95% of the time I pace myself carefully and stay within my daily and weekly limits because I am aware that what you can get away with in your 20s is not what you can get away with in your 40s. There is a toll on your body even if your alcohol consumption never interferes with daily life and work, family and friendships. If I live to a ripe old age, I'd rather be doing it in good health.