Why men consume more alcohol than women

Dr. D. P. Atukorale

Alcoholism: Alcohol has been consumed for millennia by man and alcoholic beverages have been part of social life in all the countries in the world. Compared with women throughout the world, men are more likely to drink, consume more alcohol and cause more problem due to drinking.

It is common knowledge that, in all the areas of the world, heavy drinking, alcoholic intoxication and diseases due to drinking are more common among males and abstinence is more common among females.

Reasons for gender differences in drinking behaviour are many. There may be biological bases for these differences.

It is believed women have lower rates of gastric metabolism of alcohol than males. Females have smaller volume of body water in which alcohol is distributed (York and Welte 1994). Women may be more likely than men to experience the unpleasant acute effects of alcohol such as hangover symptoms.

Research carried out in different countries has suggested for categories of socio-cultural reasons why men's and women's drinking patterns remain dissimilar: (i) power, (ii) Sex, (iii) Risks and (iv) Responsibilities.

Power

The most common hypotheses to explain why men and women differ in their drinking behaviour argue that alcohol consumption both symbolizes and enhances men's greater power relative to women (McClelland and et al, 1972)

Alcohol consumption, in large quantities has been an emblem of male superiority over women (Marin, 2001). Ability to consumer large amounts of alcohol without apparent impairment may help to demonstrate that the drinker is manly (Neff et al 1991).

Drinking historically has been considered a male privilege

Alcohol seems to enhance power over others by facilitating aggressive behaviour towards other people, more by men than by women (Bushman 1997). However the effect of alcohol depends on to some extent on personal characteristics of male drinkers.

Men who want to bully or assault other people learn that alcohol helps them to do this in certain circumstances. Greater aggressiveness towards women could encourage more than discourage men's drinking. Heavy drinking is known to help males in case of sexual assaults (Abbey 2002, Testa 2002)

Sex

Both men and women may be motivated to drink by expectations that alcohol will enhance their sexual performance and enjoyments (or will make it easier for them to engage in sexual activity) (S. Wilsnackes et al 1997) Drinking makes women more open to sexual advances by men.

Women have been socially influenced to drink less than men as a way to restrain women's sexual behaviour and women are aware that their drinking may increase their risks of vulnerability to male sexual aggression (Abbey 2002)

Risks

Men drink more than women because men are generally more willing to take risks than women (Byrnes et al 1999). This is because men find risk - taking more inherently rewarding (exciting) than women do and risk taking is an important part of demonstrating masculinity (but not femininity) and it is known that women avoid risks more than men do (Campbell et all 2001).

It has been shown that risk - taking effects by males is greatest in later adolescence and early adulthood, before men get married and before they become parents (Byrnes et al 1999).

Responsibilities

Men may be more likely to drink heavily because drinking either helps them to ignore responsibilities (particularly domestic roles). On the other hand, greater role responsibilities particularly at home may help women to limit their drinking (Shore 1997) Culturally drinking in Sri Lanka is mainly confined to males and drinking among females is negligible. Heavy drinking among females is very rare in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is at presently undergoing rapid changes in all the spheres of life largely owing to the open economic policy introduced in 1977. Frequent drinking is common only among males in all religious communities in Sri Lanka and frequent drinking is rare among females. As mentioned earlier, drinking among females is rare and drinking is more common among females with high income as compared to low income groups.

In other words drinking is more common among so called educated upper class women and low alcohol drinks like beer are popular among female drinkers especially in urban areas of Sri Lanka while a few probably at higher income levels take wine and whisky at parties.

Reference

Gender, Alcohol and Culture in Sri Lanka. Siri Hettige & Dharmadasa Paranagama WHO, Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Geneva.