Drinking Alcohol: Girls vs. Boys

It has long been thought that boys will be boys and that underage drinking is mainly done by the male population as they try to one up their buddies. Unfortunately, the number of underage girls who are drinking excessively (also known as binge drinking) is closing in on the number of boys.

While underage drinking is a serious problem for both girls and boys, drinking affects a girl's body different than it affects a boy's body. For one thing, a girl's body is normally slighter and has less mass than a boy's body, therefore a girl will have much less tolerance for the same amount of alcohol consumed. A March 2006 Georgetown University Center study shows that many girls have started binge drinking, (consuming 5 or more alcoholic drinks on a given occasion) trying to keep up with their male counterparts, even though it takes less alcohol for them to get drunk.

This can be a recipe for disaster. Girls who have become drunk are far more likely to engage in sexual activity than they would not if they were sober. Given their age and maturity level, these impulsive actions lead to a wide range of social problems. Girls might regret their actions, find themselves pregnant or have contracted STDs because they were too drunk to think about taking precautionary birth control measures.

While boys at the same age are hailed as heroes by their peers, girls can sometimes end up with less than desirable reputations that will haunt them through their teenage years. For some girls, it can create depression, social anxiety, and a need to withdraw, sometimes by drinking more alcohol to escape.

Girls are almost more likely to become alcoholics than boys simply because their bodies can't handle the alcohol in the same manner as boys. Because they try to keep up with "the guys" by drinking the same amount of alcohol, they tend to have a higher blood alcohol level for the same amount of alcohol consumed, putting them at a greater risk of alcohol poisoning and raising their chances of addiction. It can become a vicious circle.

While parents should take care to educate both their sons and daughters, girls should be taught the additional issues of how alcohol affects young teenage girls and the consequences of excessive alcohol use.