Binge drinking on the rise among British women
POSTED May 6, 2009 - 16:32 | POSTED BY Jyoti Pal
Last edited by Harpreet Bhagrath on May 6, 2009 - 17:25
According to the report published by the York-based Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 15 percent of women are now binge-drinking each week, almost double the previous number in 10 years.
Among men, thanks to constant government’s attempts to curb binge drinking in the young, the number of men aged 16-24 taking “binge” amounts have fallen by nearly 10 percent in the past decade. 23 percent men still binge drink more, consuming twice as much as they should.
Study details
13 studies enrolling over 3,000 people held in the past 20 years on alcohol consumption in the UK were reviewed for the purpose.
On average, the per week alcoholic units consumed by 45- to 64-year-olds rose from 5.3 to 9.8 between the periods 1992-2006, the report found. Middle-aged men and women who guzzled six drinks in one sitting at least once a week were up by 10 percent during the same time.
Lesley Smith of Oxford Brookes University who led the research said, “Much concern has been expressed in recent years about young people’s drinking — and young people binge-drinking in particular. Many people will be surprised to learn that young men’s drinking, including binge-drinking, has gone down in recent years, while middle-age and older people’s drinking has increased.”
“An examination of trends over the last 15 to 20 years indicates that it is generally the behavior of women that has increased towards that of men, at least in the UK, where the gender gap in drinking at excessive and harmful levels has decreased over recent years,” she added.
What’s causing the binge boozing boom among over-45s?
According to the report, the pressure of caring for older relatives is driving the middle class people in their 50s and 60s to drink.
The hardships faced by the "babygloomer" generation, like children leaving home for higher studies, loneliness, and pressure of caring for elderly parents, often turn people to alcohol at times of stress.
Over three million Britons are estimated to be aiding their parents or close relatives financially. Millions more are being looked after in their own homes as they cannot look after themselves any more, the report highlighted.
