The Difference Between Women and Men in Handling Alcohol
No matter how much people want to deny it, women and men are different in some significant ways. One of these ways is in how women and men handle alcohol after consuming it. Due to physiological factors, women will handle alcohol differently than men do, even men who are exactly the same size. The evidence suggests that women are more susceptible to the ill effects of alcohol, which makes it important for women to be even more wary about drinking before driving. One of the differences is that women usually have only about 52% body water, while men have about 61% on average. Your body water dilutes the alcohol that you drink, so the less body water you have, the more strongly alcohol effects are felt.
Another factor is the presence of a key enzyme in the liver called dehydrogenase, which is what breaks down alcohol in the body. Women have less of this enzyme, which means it will take longer for the effects of alcohol to wear off. As a Las Vegas DUI lawyer would attest, a woman who drives shortly after drinking is riskier than a man of equal size. Finally, some women’s premenstrual hormones can influence intoxication to occur more quickly, while some estrogen-based medications will decrease how quickly alcohol is eliminated. Fortunately, some of these factors are valid defenses that can invalidate the results of a DUI test due to inaccuracy. If you’re a woman and find yourself arrested for a DUI, consult with a Las Vegas DUI lawyer to determine what defenses might work for you.
