Women drink almost as much alcohol as men, global study finds

Women have caught up with men when it comes to drinking alcohol, new research has found.

The trend is most evident among young adults, according to the findings.

The researchers looked at the drinking habits of four million people born between 1891 and 2000 all over the world - by examining 68 studies on alcohol consumption.

They found that among those born in the early 1900s, men were:

:: 2.2 times more likely than women to consume alcohol;

:: Three times more likely to drink in ways "suggestive of problematic use"

:: 3.6 times more likely to experience alcohol-related harms

But that ratio changes dramatically when examining data relating to people born in the late 1900s. The study found that men were:

:: 1.1 times more likely than women to consume alcohol

:: 1.2 times more likely to drink problematically

:: 1.3 times more likely to experience alcohol-related harms.

The researchers concluded: "These results have implications for the framing and targeting of alcohol use prevention and intervention programmes.

"Alcohol use and alcohol use disorders have historically been viewed as a male phenomenon.

"The present study calls this assumption into question and suggests that young women in particular should be the target of concerted efforts to reduce the impact of substance use and related harms."