Did the high prevalence of alcohol use early in the 1880s surprise you? Why or why not? What stereotypes do we have about high alcohol consumption?

I was definitely surprised by the high prevalence of alcohol use in the 1880s. As a matter of fact, when we compare the amount of alcohol consumed at that time and the amount of alcohol consumed today, it is clear that alcohol consumption has decreased by approximately 50%. It is important to note that I was surprised owing to the fact that I actually expected the prevalence of alcohol use to have been the other way round – i.e. high alcohol consumption in modern times and low alcohol consumption in the 1880s. My reasoning was simple: that today, people are more exposed to alcohol advertisements (thanks to social media) and interact more often in social settings (thanks to better communication tools that can be used to organize meet ups) than they used to do in the 1880s.

When it comes to high alcohol consumption, we are more likely to associate heavy drinkers with failure and irresponsibility. Further heavy drinkers are likely to be seen as broke and frustrated. Heavy drinking could also be associated with the use of illegal drug and substances.

Why do you think that more men drink than women?

To a large extent, “alcohol is one of the most commonly abused substances, and men are up to twice as likely to develop alcoholism as women” (Elsevier, 689). In my opinion, there are a number of factors that contribute to the high consumption of alcohol among men than women. The first factor is social expectations and standards. In today’s modern society, a habitual female drinker is likely to be more frowned upon and ridiculed than a habitual male drinker. This discourages most women for drinking. Next, there is also an element of peer pressure in the higher alcohol consumption among men. In most cases, and from as early as teenage years, alcohol drinking is perceived as a ‘macho’ undertaking that separates ‘boys’ from ‘men.’ This is the very same perspective borrowed by some liquor and beer ad campaigns.

References

Elsevier. (2010, October 18). Why are men more susceptible to alcoholism? It may be in their dopamine. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101018112308.htm