Two weeks ago, a report came out that showed alcohol-related deaths among women are rising faster than those among men, narrowing the gap between the sexes, especially for women over 65.
Using data from the CDC and a conservative measure of alcohol-related deaths (just those from, e.g. liver disease and alcohol poisoning, not injuries or homicides that might have been fueled by alcohol), the study found deaths rising for both men and women, but rising faster for women (15% per year between 2018 and 2020).
Why is this happening?
First, women are actually drinking more than they have in the past. According to Dr. Paula Cook, a physician who specializes in addiction medicine and host of the podcast, "The Addiction Files,” “we have been seeing these trends of increased alcohol use amongst women for quite some time.”
This increase could be down to increased alcohol advertising targeting women specifically: this BBC article in 2020 discussed this trend of using the idea of women’s empowerment to sell alcohol. It’s marketed to successful, high-earning women as the high-end way to relax.
There is also the question of changing social norms. Dr. Peter Martin of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine said that women’s alcohol consumptions has been more normalized socially, leading to a rise in heavy drinking among women.
But there could also be psychological reasons.
According to George F. Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “Women are twice as likely as men to experience anxiety and depression, and the stresses of the pandemic likely hit extra hard.” The recent rise in anxiety and depression may also help explain the drive to drink to escape.
Whatever the reason, it’s concerning, because women are actually MORE vulnerable to the effects of alcohol than men.
We’re less able to break down alcohol, with lower levels of a key enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase, used in the process than men. We have more hormonal fluctuations, which can quicken the negative effects of drinking on our organs. We’re smaller and have less water in our bodies, so our alcohol concentration is higher even after consuming the same number of drinks. We need to be more conscious of the harm drinking can do, because we’re at a physical disadvantage.
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