  
Women are much more likely to have a higher Blood
Alcohol Concentration (BAC) than men and become
intoxicated quicker than men after drinking the same
amount of alcohol.
Women also retain a higher BAC for longer and research
has shown that alcohol affects women differently than
men.
A woman's body contains more fatty tissue and less water
than a man's body. Alcohol is not absorbed into fatty
tissue but remains more concentrated in the water portion
of the body.
Women are often smaller than men. As a result the alcohol
will be more concentrated in a woman's body, producing
a higher BAC. In addition, women break-down alcohol
more slowly than men do because they have lower concentration
of alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme in their bodies.
Some studies have suggested that women's oestrogen levels
can influence their BACs. Therefore, the response of
women to alcohol may vary during the menstrual cycle
and may be affected by the use of contraceptives or
hormone replacement therapy.
Due to these physiological differences between women
and men, current health guidelines recommend that men
may drink up to 21 units per week, while women are recommended
to only drink a maximum of 14 units.
Some studies have shown that menopausal women may benefit
from drinking moderate amounts of alcohol to reduce their
risk of heart disease. However, due to a woman's poorer
tolerance of alcohol, she is much more likely to develop
health problems such as liver damage at lower levels of
alcohol. It has been reported that heavy drinking for
women can result in cirrhosis of the liver after 13 years
as compared to 22 years for a man.
Other studies have shown that women who drink, in some
cases even moderate amounts, are more likely to develop
breast cancer and gynaecological problems than women who
don't drink. The risk is considered to be higher for women
who smoke and also take the contraceptive pill.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is a particular risk
factor for the unborn child and is usually recommended
by most medical professionals not to drink during pregnancy
or at least restrict alcohol to just the occasional drink.
Miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature delivery and low
birth weights have all been attributed to drinking large
amounts of alcohol during pregnancy.
When women drink in excess of 10 units per day during
pregnancy, their baby is at risk from Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Babies who are born with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome are mentally
handicapped, with abnormal facial features and neurological,
heart, bone and kidney defects to various degrees.
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