- An increasing number of young women are waking up after
a heavy night of drinking with virtually no memory of the night before,
new research has revealed.
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- More women appear to be drinking their recommended alcohol
intake in a matter of hours rather than spread over a week, according to
a survey by Company magazine.
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- It found that 66 per cent of women admitted to waking
up in the morning after a night out on the town with almost no recollection
of their revels - up from 42 per cent when the same question was asked
two years ago.
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- The problem of binge-drinking was also apparent, with
60 per cent of women admitting to drinking the majority of their 21 units
in one or two weekend sessions rather than during the course of a week.
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- The 2003 Freedom Years survey also found that 29 per
cent of women said they had lost keys, money and other valuables during
a drunken night out - up from 20 per cent in 2001.
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- Getting home was also a problem, with 50 per cent admitting
they had no idea how they got back - up from 33 per cent in 2001.
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- Worryingly, 10 per cent of the 1,000 women aged 18-28
polled across the UK said they had to be escorted home by a stranger.
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- Jean Coussins, the chief executive of the Portman Group,
an industry-funded body which promotes responsible drinking, said these
were worrying statistics, especially those concerning how much alcohol
women consumed.
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- "The most important thing is how you spread those
21 units out.
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- "Persistent heavy drinking sessions can lead to
serious health risks, like cirrhosis of the liver, which is on the increase
in young women, whereas a couple of units a day will not, even if it adds
up to the same amount."
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- Sam Baker, the editor of Company magazine, said: "Across
the board it seems that women are becoming less, not more, safety-conscious,
which is extremely worrying.
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- "Companyís research encompasses all areas
of young womenís lives today and elsewhere.
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- "When it comes to romance or career, young women
definitely have their heads screwed on right, but their relationship with
alcohol is a different story altogether."
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- She added: "A bit of careful planning - booking
a cab for the end of the night, for example - is all it really takes to
ensure you remain safe. While we all want to have a fantastic night out,
it would be nice to remember it the next morning."
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- The 1,000 people aged 18 to 28 questioned for the Freedom
Years survey were not married, separated or divorced, and had no children.
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- ©2003 Scotsman.com
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- http://www.news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1211822003
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