Women now drinking 'almost as much alcohol as men'

Conclusion
This review provides support that the male-female gap in indicators of alcohol use and related harms has been closing. This is more evident in young adults, and has changed quicker in more recent years.
While the study provides evidence of a continuing trend, there are some key limitations.
The review can provide observations of trends over time, but cannot tell us the reasons behind the closing of the alcohol use gap.
It did not examine, for example, whether the changes in sex ratios in alcohol use and alcohol-related harms are the result of a fall in prevalence among men or a rise in women.
The authors speculated about some of the reasons behind this narrowing sex difference.
They suggested it could be down to the female gender role changing over time – for example, the increasing participation of women in the labour force, better education, and increased age of first marriage. 
They also suggested broader social, cultural and economic changes might be involved.
Another important limitation is that these estimates may be imperfect. The studies included were all assessed for quality, though are likely to have varied widely in their inclusions, methods and follow-up.
For example, the majority of studies were from the US and Europe, but we can't say they'd be applicable to all populations.
The questions used to assess alcohol use and problems are also likely to have varied widely across studies, and across the century that the study covered.
Participants...

Source: NHS News Feed - October 25, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Food/diet Source Type: news