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She's in high spirits
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What makes women reach for the bottle? Depression, peer pressure or maybe even the perceived need to appear cool and trendy
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PHOTO: AP
CHEERS! Women are increasingly open to social drinking
Do we need to redefine drinking in a context when some women even sign off a hard day by just marinating in gin 'n' juice? Is drinking an activity of pleasure? A stress buster? A social obligation? Peer pressure? An escape when mad or sad? A fun way to put up one's feet? A welcome part of a hearty, healthy hangout? Maybe all of the above, depending on the context.
After all, a glass of spirits lifts your spirits up. Some argue that moderate alcohol can also be good for health, reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Why is today's sassy, confident woman on a cocktail-quaffing spree?
Slippery slope
Drinking is a slippery slope. Jhanvi, a serious enthusiast, would be the first to tell you that she likes to drink. "I sort of fixate on it." But she is quick to add: "I don't consider myself an alcoholic. I drink only on weekends. I don't binge!"
"Personally, I wonder how much fun it would be to go out to a pub with a date who was going to remain completely sober," avers Avinash, an MBA student. And here's what Aditi, a perennial pub hopper, has to say: "Why do you assume that every woman who goes to a pub is an alcoholic or drinks to excess?"
Women's enjoyment of drinking is amplified in popular culture. It is this drinking surge that has even got market gurus working overtime creating sweet alcoholic drinks that are pitched specifically to women. Also, given the gender sensitivity to alcohol, women are apt to move more quickly across the continuum from moderate drinking to problem drinking.
Why the disparity? Pound for pound, women have less water in their bodies than men do, so the alcohol that does the rounds in their bloodstream is less diluted and corrodes their bodies more quickly.
The gender gap is closing for all ages and there is no difference in drinking behaviour. But DNA is not destiny; lifestyles and careers count, too.
At what point does drinking for relaxation veer into problem drinking? Shanti Narayan, a media person, has not experienced any negative effects from her drinking. She instead finds it therapeutic.
Strangely enough, more women think that by drinking they self-medicate negative feelings.
Shilpa Reddy, who works for a multinational, feels that she is more likely to drink out of a sensation-seeking urge. Style and drinking have had a considerably intimate relationship. There are others who think that drinking alleviates depression and in a way shakes off sexual inhibitions.
Whatever the reason, women are reaching out for the bottle more than ever before.
(Some names have been changed on request.)
LASYA VEMPARALA
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