Being around the opposite sex triggers stress hormones, which in turn increases the amount of alcohol consumed (and thus the likelihood of binge drinking), according to a study of laboratory animals from the Rutgers University Center of Alcohol Studies.

"We've seen consistently that the males drink more when there are females round and the females drink more when the males around," said Dr. Arthur Tomie. "And by looking at this, we can better understand what happens with people; we can understand how the tendency to binge drink is likely to occur in mixed company."

Dr. Tomie's research found that male rats drink 55 percent more when exposed to one female, and they show increased levels of corticosterone, indicating high stress levels. Alcohol is considered an anti-anxiety drug with respect to social stress, Dr. Tomie explained.
 

Labels: binge drinking

Posted By: Jane St. Clair