White Women Drinking themselves to death

[SearchingforPeace]

Nine charts that show how white women are drinking themselves to death - The Washington Post

In light of a certain thread where drinking was featured as a major issue, I thought this article was interesting. The article itself has 9 charts demonstrating the issue.

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So why are middle-aged white women dying more often even while death rates for other groups continue to go down? What are white women doing that is so different?

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In 1999, white and Hispanic women had relatively similar rates of death from alcohol, and the rate for black women was considerably higher. But since then, the death rate for blacks has gone down, the death rate for Hispanics has gone up a bit, and the death rate for white women climbed 130 percent.

...

Thirty-one percent of the women with a college degree reported drinking multiple days a week, compared with 21 percent of women with some college and 14 percent of women with a high-school education or less.

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When dividing patients into income groups, we see women who live in poorer neighborhoods are more likely to show up at the emergency room for drug intoxication, but women from wealthier neighborhoods are much more likely to show up at the hospital for alcohol intoxication.

.....

So, white educated women are drinking substantially more than even a few years ago, leading to increased deaths. Ignoring the death issue for this discussion, I wonder if anyone would like to share theories as to the sudden increase in heavy and binge drinking among educated white women.

Is it a byproduct of college binge drinking? Or an indication of increased stress? Or something else?

 

[miss fortune]

for one thing it's become more expected and acceptable in the media for ladies in that demographic group to go out and drink or stay at home with a bottle of wine... that sort of thing has a definite impact on people's behavior

 

[Betty Blue]

Some things to note,

While rates across the board have gone up, socioeconomics still plays the largest role as the lowest income still has the highest rates of drinking. Edit: As per the infographic in the op link.

I'd also be interested to see how things like stress play a part. E.g how many of these women are single parents, juggling several jobs, depressed...

drinking alcohol is the most socially accepted form of trying to forget your worries, the dangers of drinking are still not emphasised enough and its legal ... it doesn't surprise me that the rates are increasing.

 

[Typh0n]

[MENTION=9160]Betty Blue[/MENTION]

Source of the chart?

 

[Betty Blue]

[MENTION=9160]Betty Blue[/MENTION]

Source of the chart?

The link provided in the op.

 

[Typh0n]

The link provided in the op.

Derp, I should've read the article more carefully.

 

[Betty Blue]

Derp, I should've read the article more carefully.

Or just looked at all the pictures.

 

[Typh0n]

Anyways this phenomenon is perplexing, but I have no idea why this is.

 

[Peter Deadpan]

Interesting.

I think [MENTION=1180]miss fortune[/MENTION] makes a valid point. On the other side of the same coin, social media as of late has been pill-shaming in the sense that it's trendy to criticize those who take prescription medications for depression, anxiety, and the like. Memes, giant wine glasses, and ScaryMommy.com have completely normalized regular heavy drinking though.

I'm a little surprised by the switch between the drug/alcohol ratio as income rises. Perhaps self-image concerns rise as income rises? And alcohol is much more of an outwardly acceptable habit than drugs. Alcohol is probably a more expensive habit than say marijuana, especially as addiction and tolerance rise (I'm speaking of alcohol addiction, not pot, lol). Income levels correspond to college education by default, so it makes sense that those with Bachelor's degrees could and would be drinking more.

I can't theorize why it is affecting white women only though other than maybe comparatively more of them are attaining college degrees and thus earning more money.

Actually, I recently quit drinking indefinitely because I realized that I was using it as an escape. It's been about a month and I don't really even miss it, although now I just drink a lot of kombucha so I'm not saving any money at all. I'm a 31-year old single white lower-income mom of two without a college degree. Most of my mom friends regularly drink wine and openly joke about it, but a lot of them would be the same people to say "don't take pills for anxiety/depression unless you try everything else first."

 

[Falcarius]

The same question was asked in the UK and it was blamed on wine o'clock.

 

[nonsequitur]

It's not just the US. I recall reading this in Australia last year and was intrigued: OECD: Australia’s middle aged, educated women are binge drinkers Alcohol study: middle-aged women drink more often than daughters | Australia news | The Guardian

The UK has the same problem too: Harmful drinking among middle-class over-50s is a 'hidden phenomenon' | Society | The Guardian

There's some discussion of some of the reasons why here: New Women Alcoholics: 'Looking at Red Wine Like It's Chocolate' - ABC News

"We have normalized drinking," she said. "We look at red wine like it's dark chocolate. We know the downsides of the tanning bed and trans fats, but not the downside of our favorite drug."

Several factors feed this trend, according to Johnston.

Women feel a "sense of entitlement that we can do everything a man can do," and the sociological revolution that tells women "they have to be perfect in every role, including perfectly thin, perfect parents and perfect at work."

Unlike men, who tend to abuse alcohol in social settings, women "uncork the bottle at home alone" and self-medicate their anxiety and depression, she said.

[...]

"The gap overall between women and men who have alcohol problems seems to be narrowing," she said. "Typically, we know from our population surveys that the people who consume the most are highly educated women with high incomes."

Though it is still speculative, the norms around drinking have changed "dramatically" in the last 40 years, Roach said.

"In the past, drinking to intoxication was looked at as unusual and you were a bad person," she said. "Now, heavy drinking among women is accepted -- and expected in some settings. Women go out for a night on the town with the intention of drinking to intoxication."

Alcohol is more available and more affordable, according to Roach, and advertisers are more "sophisticated," marketing alcohol pops and berry flavored vodka to women.

[...]

In the 2013 book, "Best Kept Secret," author Gabrielle Glaser argues that female drinking starts insidiously in the male-oriented college environment.

"Activities are still really male-dominated with frat parties, dive bars and tailgating oriented around drinking," she said.

"Now, there is serious binge drinking and women take that with them into their first jobs in technology, law and business and carry it with them even though they can't tolerate it," Glaser said.

When they become mothers, the demands of parenthood are triggers. In an article for the Wall Street Journal, Glaser cites the Facebook page, "Moms Who Need Wine," which now has 660,000 followers.

[...]

In most European countries, women drink more than the recommended amounts in the United States, but have fewer abuse problems and higher life expectancies, according to Glaser.

She said Americans lead overwhelmed lives and don't know how to moderate their drinking.

"We are driving our kids more, competition is greater, we are away from our extended families," she said. "We are doing more -- instead of saying stop the drinking for the rest of my life, maybe you can step away from the triggers."

She urges a national conversation on what moderate drinking is.

A Swedish study also backs up the theory of this being a form of socially acceptable self-medication: Abstinence, occasional drinking and binge drinking in middle-aged women. The Women's Health in Lund Area (WHILA) Study. - PubMed - NCBI

Among women drinking alcohol, 56.6% affirmed binge drinking within the last year and 39.4% within the last month. Binge drinkers did not differ in terms of social situation, mental or physical health, compared with other drinkers. Drinking to relieve tension was affirmed by 7.2%. These women had more mental symptoms and less contact with friends compared with other drinkers; furthermore, they were more often binge drinkers. Binge drinking was common and health and social consequences of this drinking pattern in middle-aged women need to be further explored. Women drinking to relieve tension may need intervention for both drinking habits and mental health.

 

[ceecee]

for one thing it's become more expected and acceptable in the media for ladies in that demographic group to go out and drink or stay at home with a bottle of wine... that sort of thing has a definite impact on people's behavior

It's not only acceptable, it's encouraged so much, I wonder if anyone even notices. It's a mantra, you see it everywhere. I'm also certain it's self medicating for a host of mental and physical issues. I also know I'm expected to drink wine anytime I'm with other women of my age. If I have to drive, I don't drink, period, ever. I'm simply not taking that chance. But apparently that's an oddity. I don't drink much overall but I prefer to do it at home.

 

[Magic Poriferan]

I'm going to say that increased social acceptability makes the most sense. Heavy drinking has definitely been a masculine thing in the past, it's a relatively recent development for it to be acceptable or encouraged for women, and if this is the explanation, it could also work with the spike taking place among whites and the college educated.

There's an oddly feminist element to this. It's women taking over something that was supposed to be reserved for men. Feminist trends often take over the demographics in question sooner than they take over the others.

Furthermore, drinking or not drinking probably feels more optional (less need for a coping mechanism) for this group, so the ups and downs in their drinking habits will probably be more dependent on things like social acceptance. That being said, whatever is driving this, white college educated women are almost certainly more able to get away with it now, and feel more comfortable with it now. There's actually bit of slang now known as getting "white girl drunk" or "white girl wasted". The interpretation I've heard from non-whites, is that they think racial minorities face considerably more stigmatization for getting really drunk than white people do, so they make more of a point not to do it, at the very least in public. White women aren't as worried about that stigma, so they don't hold back so much. While that explanation is about whites, if the logic of it follows, I would bet the correlation could also apply to being college educated or not.

So there's a few factors I can think of here that seem almost contradictory. Perhaps the best way to put these seemingly opposing factors together is that he have the effect of stabilizing drinking habits for non-whites but allow drinking habits for whites to be far more wobbly. In other words, for non-white, non-college educated women, there's a continuing conflict between a greater need for a coping mechanism (because higher rates of poverty and dealing with a lot more prejudice) vs trying to avoid inflaming the racially based social stigma against them, whereas for white women there was basically nothing holding them back except the gender based stigma related and that has now been flipped from a stigma to encouragement, and the present state of encouragement now plays a stronger role relative to coping than it did for non-whites. So as a result the habits of white women just did a huge swing.

That, however, wouldn't explain why the problem is alcohol alone rather than other drugs. Perhaps it's because only alcohol has become more acceptable? Why? Being legal helps no doubt, but it's been legal for a long time. I'm not sure.

But I'm just spit balling here. It sounds good but I have nothing to validate it. Maybe nothing I said was accurate.

 

[Ursa]

That, however, wouldn't explain why the problem is alcohol alone rather than other drugs. Perhaps it's because only alcohol has become more acceptable? Why? Being legal helps no doubt, but it's been legal for a long time. I'm not sure.

It's probably because alcohol is easiest to acquire; it takes a simple trip to the store. This is also why alcoholism can be a pain to treat - the places that sell alcohol are ubiquitous.

 

[jcloudz]

If a healthy approach is encouraged, it seems like it would be considered a negative thing. What arguments might be stirred up and with what groups?

 

[chubber]

Need more data, for all we know it is, because these white women can now be the providers and the previous generation couldn't pass mental wisdom down the line since they rarely had experience as to how to be a career woman and mother at the house.


I just hear Cartman "I do what I want" well nobody is stopping them, since then it would be sexist to do so, or is the trouble just not worth it?

 

[ChocolateMoose123]

Nine charts that show how white women are drinking themselves to death - The Washington Post

In light of a certain thread where drinking was featured as a major issue, I thought this article was interesting. The article itself has 9 charts demonstrating the issue.



So, white educated women are drinking substantially more than even a few years ago, leading to increased deaths. Ignoring the death issue for this discussion, I wonder if anyone would like to share theories as to the sudden increase in heavy and binge drinking among educated white women.

Is it a byproduct of college binge drinking? Or an indication of increased stress? Or something else?

This isn't suprising. Educated white women having more prominence in the workforce, and going home or going to a bar to "unwind" same as any other 9-5'er.

Instead of cracking open a beer, it's opening a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

But this is a problem that affects men in greater numbers and socially seems to have a great impact than women at this point, at least.

Since the OP specifically made a callback to a previous thread concerning sexual assault and alcohol being related, I don't believe this is off topic to include these following statements as OP's concern for women's sexual safety is noted in this thread. I would also like to state my own concern for men's sexual safety and well-being.


Drinking levels among men

Approximately 58% of adult men report drinking alcohol in the last 30 days.

Approximately 23% of adult men report binge drinking 5 times a month, averaging 8 drinks per binge.

Men are almost two times more likely to binge drink than women.

Most (90%) people who binge drink are not alcoholics or alcohol dependent.

About 4.5% of men and 2.5% of women met the diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence in the past year.

Injuries and deaths as a result of excessive alcohol use

Men consistently have higher rates of alcohol-related deaths and hospitalizations than women.

Among drivers in fatal motor-vehicle traffic crashes, men are almost twice as likely as women to have been intoxicated (i.e., a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or greater).

Excessive alcohol consumption increases aggression and, as a result, can increase the risk of physically assaulting another person.

Men are more likely than women to commit suicide, and more likely to have been drinking prior to committing suicide.

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While these increases in white women drinking more is concerning, I cannot help but see this is MORE an issue that affects men in greater numbers and in greater severity. As such, is much more in need of combatting and highlighting.

I realize this may be off topic. If so, I will start a thread on it and this will be my own OP.

 

[SearchingforPeace]

This isn't suprising. Educated white women having more prominence in the workforce, and going home or going to a bar to "unwind" same as any other 9-5'er.

Instead of cracking open a beer, it's opening a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

But this is a problem that affects men in greater numbers and socially seems to have a great impact than women at this point, at least.

Since the OP specifically made a callback to a previous thread concerning sexual assault and alcohol being related, I don't believe this is off topic to include these following statements as OP's concern for women's sexual safety is noted in this thread. I would also like to state my own concern for men's sexual safety and well-being.


Drinking levels among men

Approximately 58% of adult men report drinking alcohol in the last 30 days.

Approximately 23% of adult men report binge drinking 5 times a month, averaging 8 drinks per binge.

Men are almost two times more likely to binge drink than women.

Most (90%) people who binge drink are not alcoholics or alcohol dependent.

About 4.5% of men and 2.5% of women met the diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence in the past year.

Injuries and deaths as a result of excessive alcohol use

Men consistently have higher rates of alcohol-related deaths and hospitalizations than women.

Among drivers in fatal motor-vehicle traffic crashes, men are almost twice as likely as women to have been intoxicated (i.e., a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or greater).

Excessive alcohol consumption increases aggression and, as a result, can increase the risk of physically assaulting another person.

Men are more likely than women to commit suicide, and more likely to have been drinking prior to committing suicide.

---
While these increases in white women drinking more is concerning, I cannot help but see this is MORE an issue that affects men in greater numbers and in greater severity. As such, is much more in need of combatting and highlighting.

I realize this may be off topic. If so, I will start a thread on it and this will be my own OP.

Feel free to start your own thread on men drinking. Your post is irrelevant here given that this thread is about the radical increase in white women binge drinking since 1999, not drinking in general. This is not a general thread on alcohol use or consequences thereof. And it is definitely not about men drinking.

But do feel free to start your own thread on the topic. Overindulgence in alcohol is a problem that should be addressed.

 

[ChocolateMoose123]

Feel free to start your own thread on men drinking. Your post is irrelevant here given that this thread is about the radical increase in white women binge drinking since 1999, not drinking in general. This is not a general thread on alcohol use or consequences thereof. And it is definitely not about men drinking.

But do feel free to start your own thread on the topic. Overindulgence in alcohol is a problem that should be addressed.

Then why did you mention the other thread in your OP?

 

[Typh0n]

It's probably because alcohol is easiest to acquire; it takes a simple trip to the store. This is also why alcoholism can be a pain to treat - the places that sell alcohol are ubiquitous.

Yes, I find street drugs scary to acquire, becaue you're dealing with a criminal that often has to resort to violence. And I'm not even a woman. Considering the majority of drug dealers seem to be male, it makes sense that women are quiet hesitant to acquire them themsleves, though I have know some that don't care, they are rare and usually far into addiction...