There’s a good chance that you or someone you know drinks wine regularly. Limited use of any form of alcohol may not harm you in any significant way. However, today, many health experts are concerned about the rise of something called wine culture. Broadly speaking, this term includes significant, casual wine drinking into your daily routine. This practice can be worrisome for multiple reasons. One key issue is the risk of severe alcohol problems and an eventual need for addiction treatment.
Wine Culture Basics
More wine is consumed in America than in any other country. In the typical year, sales reach the range of hundreds of millions of gallons. Today, wine drinking is on the rise among women. This fact partly reflects a general increase in women’s alcohol use. However, it also reflects a growing view of wine consumption as a positive or even empowering act.
This outlook is heavily marketed to women through traditional commercials and social media. It promotes wine drinking as an acceptable response to the daily pressures that many women face. Common examples of these pressures include:
- Taking care of children
- Balancing work and home responsibilities
- Dealing with various financial and relationships issues
Marketers and social media messages also sometimes target male wine consumers.
The Dangers of Wine Culture – Risks for Alcohol Use Disorder
Excessive drinking can increase your risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD). This disorder’s definition encompasses alcoholism and dysfunctional, non-addicted alcohol abuse. Heavy wine use is just as capable of producing AUD as any other form of drinking.
A standard serving or drink of wine is just five fluid ounces. To avoid raising their risks of developing AUD, women can have just one such serving each day. For men, the number rises to a maximum of two servings of wine daily. It’s safe to say that many people who drink wine exceed these daily totals.
Other Potential Consequences of Drinking Excessive Amounts of Wine
Heavy participation in a culture of casual wine drinking can also leave you exposed to numerous other problems. The list of these problems includes such things as:
- Involvement in motor vehicle crashes or other kinds of accidents
- An increase in high-risk behavior
- Higher chances of being exposed to violence or committing it
- Cardiovascular issues
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Immune system dysfunction
- Memory disruption
You may also develop increased risks for eight different kinds of cancer.
Particular Dangers of Wine Culture for Women
Women are more at risk from the harms of wine-drinking culture than men. That’s true largely because of women’s biological responses to drinking. Specific issues that occur faster or more often in women include heart and liver disease. They also include nerve damage and alcohol-related blackouts. In a blackout, you experience complete or partial amnesia.
The average woman also tends to develop AUD faster than the average man. This can happen even when a woman drinks less wine than a man. These facts are particularly troubling given the focus on women in wine-oriented culture.
Get More Information on the Dangers of Wine Culture at The Right Step Recovery
Have more questions about the potential dangers of casual wine drinking? Get the answers you need at The Right Step. We can also help you assess the risks of your current pattern of alcohol use.
Need help with existing problems with alcohol? Whether the source of these problems is wine, liquor, or beer, The Right Step can help. We’re dedicated to providing customized treatment for all cases of AUD. To find out more, just call us today at 17135283709. You can also write or chat with us online or through our form.
