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Alarming new research has found women in Australia are drinking alcohol at dangerous levels despite knowing the harm it can bring. More than 300,000 Australian women are regularly drinking at high-risk levels, consuming 11 or more standard drinks in one sitting at least once a month, researchers from Flinders University have revealed. Consuming 11 drinks in one sitting is better known as binge-drinking.

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion. Victoria Kostadinov from the College of Medicine and Public Health said women have been “historically” under-represented in alcohol research. “In particular, research regarding women who drink at very high levels is lacking, with most of the research not differentiating between those who drink slightly above the official guidelines and those who drink well above these level,” she said.



“What makes this especially concerning is that unfortunately women are more susceptible than men to experiencing severe health problems from excessive drinking, including liver issues, cardiovascular disease, cancers and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.” Alcohol is also suspected to interact with a woman’s biological rhythms such as oestrogen and progesterone cycles, and that it can negatively impact menopause. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), more than one in four (26.

8 per cent) of adults in Australia (5.2 million) exceeded the Australian Alcohol Guideline.

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