Drinking - the hypocrisy and the home truths

People were shocked but I suspect that as with so many stories like this the general reaction was one of detachment: "It will never happen to me."

Emma was not a binge-drinker, nor did she drink to excess; she merely drank consistently.

Alcohol has formed such an integral part of our social and working lives — especially here in London — that the pressure to drink is a constant in the background.

Corporate entertaining is a necessary part of many jobs and drinking alcohol is expected.

If women are drinking with men they may well be imbibing man-sized quantities, which will quickly lead to health problems.

My patients do seem to know about units, and some even know how many units they are allowed, but very few can accurately estimate how much they drink.

There exists a huge disparity between what is too much in social terms and what the medical profession would consider excessive.

Half a bottle of wine a night is normal and quite acceptable for many people.

To medics it is well over the recommended limits of three or four units a day for men and two or three units for women.

I can't see how any professional woman keeping up with the guys during corporate events can stick to her limit.

This especially worries me as women are far more susceptible to the ill effects of alcohol than their male colleagues.

The toxic effects of alcohol have more impact on the female liver, heart and brain and the minimal amount required to cause cirrhosis in women is two to three times less than in men.

This is because women develop higher blood-alcohol levels.

It's partly to do with body fat. Women tend to have more of it and alcohol cannot be dispersed in fat, so stays in the blood.

We do have some enzymes in our stomachs that break down alcohol but unfortunately women have less of them, so absorb more booze into their blood. These factors caused the death of Emma Pycroft.

But it is not only women drinking socially who are at risk.

I find it so hypocritical that what most dictates whether drinking is irresponsible is where it takes place.

Ladettes out in town with cans of cider are reviled; nice middle-class women who get through a bottle of gin an evening at home are not.

The home drinker is probably getting through more and doing herself more harm.

Our health services will be burdened by middle-aged women with alcohol problems in years to come.

It's happening already but it will get worse.

But it's only when people start dying that drink becomes newsworthy.