Drinking behaviors of women in four occupational groups.

Questions about alcohol consumption, social and work contexts, and negative consequences related to alcohol use were asked of forty-nine academics, 27 physicians, 15 attorneys, and 169 business women. The majority of the women were light drinkers and their drinking does not appear to be accompanied by negative consequences. The exception to this is driving while intoxicated or riding with an intoxicated driver, behaviors which may be increasing as a result of business-related or after work drinking. The women reported being in drinking settings relatively often. Frequency in drinking settings was correlated with both level of alcohol consumption and number of negative consequences of alcohol use. Presence in such settings may be related to women's employment status, and thus could be considered both a work-related risk factor and a location for abuse prevention activities.