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Page 7: Critical Information For Women Surrounding Alcohol

Men and women do not respond to alcohol in the same way. Current research indicates that women are not as efficient "drinking machines" as men. There are many factors that influence this difference.

  1. Body size is the first factor. Women are, on the average, built smaller than men. Therefore, equal amounts of alcohol cause a higher blood alcohol concentration in women due to the smaller blood volume.

  2. Body composition is the second factor. The average female carries more body fat than a male. Body fat contains little water. When consumed, alcohol dilutes in water. Therefore, a female has less body water to dilute alcohol in, causing a higher blood alcohol concentration, even if two equally sized men and women drink the same amount of alcohol.

  3. The third factor is a metabolizing enzyme that helps rid the body of alcohol called alcohol dehydrogenase. Women have less of this enzyme than men do. Therefore, more of the alcohol that women drink enters the blood stream as pure alcohol, and stays there.

  4. Finally, a woman’s response to alcohol is increased due to hormonal changes when a woman is about to have her period, or is taking the birth control pill.

For these reasons, women can expect more impairment from alcohol than men consuming an equal dose of alcohol. Preliminary research suggests that women develop problems with alcohol more quickly and severely than men do. Therefore to reduce your risk, it is suggested that women limit their consumption to no more than one drink per hour, no more than one drink per day, and never more than four times per week.

Remember, this is not an issue of equality, but one of health!

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