Women are generally more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol because:
- On average, women weigh less and people who weigh less reach higher blood alcohol levels compared to people who weigh more.
- Women have more adipose tissue (fat), causing alcohol to be absorbed more slowly and the effects of alcohol to take longer to wear off.
- Women have less water in their bodies to dilute alcohol. If a woman and a man of the same weight drink an equal amount of alcohol, a woman’s blood alcohol concentration will be higher.
- Women have lower levels of the enzymes that break down alcohol. This lower level of enzymes means that alcohol remains in a woman’s system longer.
Retrieved from: http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/CCSA-Women-and-Alcohol-Summary-2014-en.pdf