Finnish Women Drinking More

drunkA fresh study on Finnish drinking habits has revealed that alcohol consumption among women has increased, with the older generation doing most of the drinking, according to a report in Helsingin Sanomat.

The study surveyed some 2,725 people and queried them on their drinking habits in the past week.

In 2008, women drank 15 percent more than they did in 2000 when the last study was conducted. Women aged 50–69 showed the greatest increase – a rise of 35 percent.

THL (National Institute for Health and Welfare) researcher Pia Makela views the trend as extremely worrying. “It is not just the health effects; it is also about the security of the women themselves. When people go into a bar with a few stiff ones under their belt, drink heavily, and then stagger home, everyone knows that there are risks,” she said.

The latest figures show that moderate drinking has declined, with more women becoming intoxicated when they drink, SIKUnews reports. 42 percent of those surveyed said they drank themselves into an intoxicated state, as opposed to just over a quarter in 2000.

Heli Mustonen, another THL researcher claimed the rise was due to intoxication no longer being a solely male domain. “Previously, a certain moral border prevented women from using alcohol. However, society has become more liberal,” Mustonen said.

The older age group’s additional drinking has been attributed to relaxation of import levels and the 2004 reduction in alcohol tax.

Overall consumption in Finland has increased by around 20 percent in the past decade.

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