Drinking to excess rising among women UK
Nearly one in three adults (30 per cent) had exceeded the recommended daily benchmark (of 4 units for men and 3 units for women) on at least one day during the previous week. Men were more likely to exceed the benchmark than women - 38 per cent of men compared with 23 per cent of women.
The proportion exceeding the daily benchmark was highest among young people aged 16 to 24 (45 per cent) and lowest among older people aged 65 and over (10 per cent). Nearly half (49 per cent) of young men aged 16 to 24 exceeded the benchmark compared with 16 per cent of older men aged 65 and over. Likewise, 42 per cent of young women aged 16 to 24 exceeded the benchmark compared with 5 per cent of older women aged 65 and over.
Across the GB regions, the proportion of adults exceeding the daily benchmark was highest in the North East (39 per cent) followed by Scotland and Wales (35 per cent). The lowest percentages were in London and the East of England (25 per cent), the South East and the West Midlands (27 per cent).
Heavy drinking (defined as above 8 units for men, and above 6 units for women, on at least one day in the last week) follows a very similar age pattern to drinking above the daily benchmark. Among both men and women, young people aged 16 to 24 were the most likely to drink heavily (35 per cent of men and 28 per cent of women) and older people aged 65 and over the least likely to drink heavily (5 per cent of men and 1 per cent of women).
Trends over time are only available for the previous guidelines of weekly recommended benchmarks (21 units for men, 14 units for women). Since the late 1980s there has been an increase in the proportion exceeding this level, almost entirely due to an increase among women. The proportion of women exceeding the weekly benchmark increased from 10 per cent in 1988/89 to 17 per cent in 2002/03 compared with an increase from 26 per cent to 27 per cent for men over the same period.
Drinking above the weekly benchmark increased across all age groups among women, but most markedly among young women aged 16 to 24. Their rate more than doubled from 15 per cent in 1988/89 to 33 per cent in 2002/03. This compared with an increase from 31 per cent to 37 per cent over the same period for young men of the same age.
Drinking above the recommended guidelines leads to increased risk of harm, both immediately and in later life. High levels of drinking play a part in mortality due to accidents and a number of diseases, including cirrhosis of liver, heart disease, strokes and some cancers.
In 2000, there were 11,800 drink-drive accidents in Great Britain, resulting in 530 deaths. It is estimated that there were 5,543 alcohol-related deaths in total in England and Wales in 2000. Sources:
General Household Survey, Office for National Statistics for drinking data. Recent trends in alcohol-related mortality, and the impact of ICD-10 on the monitoring of these deaths in England and Wales,
Health Statistics Quarterly 17, Office for National Statistics for alcohol-related deaths data Road Casualties Great Britain 2002: Annual Report, Department for Transport for road accidents data
Notes:
In 1992, the Government introduced the weekly guideline that men should drink under 21 units per week and women under 14 units per week. In 1995, the guidelines were changed from weekly to daily, advising that men should drink no more than 4 units per day and women no more than 3 units per day. A unit is defined as 8 grams of alcohol which is equivalent to half a pint of ordinary strength beer, a small (125ml) glass of wine (at 9 per cent strength) or one measure of spirits.
The GHS figures before 1998/99 are unweighted and from 1998/99 onwards are weighted.
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Potabile la excesul de creºtere în rândul femeilor din Regatul Unit - Drinking to excess rising among women UK - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate