To those who consume alcohol, it is associated with positive effects such as stress reduction, mood alleviation, increased sociability as well as the feelings of relaxation. However, there are negative implications associated with alcohol intake such as tendency to develop alcohol dependency as well as medical complications which trigger premature deaths.(Linos A and Kirch W, 2007). Alcohol use across varying cultures differs on the lines of gender, economic, age, race as well as religious backgrounds. However, there is a general consensus that men are more likely to drink than women. It is also more likely that men will drink more than women when they do.
This can be explained by the biological differences between the two. Women tend to be intoxicated faster than men even when body weight differences have been put to consideration. The woman’s body tends to absorb alcohol differently from the male body.Consequently, the risk factors that are associated with alcohol have a larger impact on women who drink as opposed to men who drink even when the same quantity of alcohol has been taken. (Linos A and Kirch W, 2007).
Women tend to have smaller body weight and livers as well as higher proportions of fat to muscle as opposed to men and will consequently have greater impacts of alcohol than men. Statistics have it that approximately 83% of people with alcohol related problems are men as opposed to women who only account for 19% a factor blamed on the gender differences and alcohol consumption. (Linos A and Kirch W, 2007). A research carried out by Safe Work Program which was managed by the International Labor Organization found out that more women were increasingly consuming alcohol due to various changes in their societies. (Stimmel B, 1986).
More women were gaining independence as opposed to earlier times when male dominance and independence was a major characteristic of the female gender. More women were also opting to start their families at a later age in life. Women were also increasingly getting involved in professions that were surrounded by stressful conditions which led to occasional and subsequent abuse or misuse of alcohol.More women in the developed countries were increasingly being subjected to the stressful conditions that had been pushing men to engage in alcohol as well as other drug abuse. The anxiety and frustrations that were facing men were now facing women.
The climate of equality where women want to be at the same level with men has also extended to alcohol intake where women want to have a drink after a long day’s work like the men do. (Stimmel B, 1986).The notion that if society became more tolerant of women drinking, moreover, more women may be willing to drink and, thus, the alcohol problem will become even more substantial is untrue. This is attributed to the fact that the women’s purchasing power has also come to many people’s attention and more often women are used in the alcohol adverts an indication that slowly the society is tolerating alcohol consumption for women.Using women in the alcohol campaigns has a positive effect in encouraging women to consume alcohol.
The ease in the accessibility of alcohol in various outlets such as restaurants and supermarkets also make the rates of women consuming alcohol high.More pubs have today become more women friendly increasing the rates of women consuming alcohol today. As the modern woman tries to be the ‘super woman’ who juggles from work to attend to her familial responsibilities burn outs are common and they are best resolved or calmed by alcohol consumption. (Stimmel B, 1986).
