Women 'regret acts' after drinking

NEARLY HALF of women who drink do something they regret while intoxicated, a survey published today reveals.

Forty per cent said they had had sex with a man they later found unattractive, and 42 per cent said they 'made hurtful comments' when drunk. Nearly a quarter - 23 per cent - admitted driving after too much alcohol.

The survey of readers in She magazine found that nearly one in five women drank more than the recommended 14 units of alcohol a week, which matches broader surveys. Government figures show 12 per cent of women exceed the limit.

A woman's recommended limit is two drinks a day, about half that for men. A unit of alcohol is a glass of wine, a measure of spirit or half a pint of beer or lager.

The survey found that married women and those in full-time employment were most likely to drink excessively. Married women were most likely to drink every day - 54 per cent - followed by those cohabiting (19 per cent), single women (17 per cent) and, last, divorced women (9 per cent).

Sarah Berger director of Drinkline, the national alcohol helpline, said 60 per cent of callers were women. 'Some of these women are drinking up to 70 units a week.'