From Norway: > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > This information is made > available by the > League Against Intoxicants. > > Please send comments > and suggestions to > [log in to unmask] > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > Women and alcohol > > Have you ever heard the phrase :"Women, wine and song"? Nowadays this > expression will be considered more or less a clichi, describing > shallow characters' high life, full of enjoyment and free from care. > On the other hand, it is interesting to notice how this clichi makes > reference to women, comparing them to intoxicants, a commodity, or > eventually just a pleasing way to kill time. The strange thing is that > this clichi can be said to have regained some of its original meaning > today. Women now drink more wine than men, (although we do not know if > they sing while they are drinking). The view of women as commodities, > or something used to pass the time, should be kept in mind when one > reads the following passage from Jack London's novel "John > Barleycorn", published in 1913: > > "The women are the true conservators of the race. The men > are the wastrels, the adventure-lovers and gamblers, and in > the end it is by their women that they are saved. About > man's first experiment in chemistry was the making of > alcohol, and down all the generations to this day man has > continued to manufacture and drink it. And there has never > been a day when the women have not resented man's use of > alcohol, though they have never had the power to give weight > to their resentment. The moment women get the vote in any > community, the first thing they proceed to do, or try to do, > is to close the saloons." > > (Chapter XXXVII, Novels and Social Writings of Jack London, > The Library of America, New York 1982.) > > When women finally got their suffrage, London's prophsy seemed about > to come true. Women in the U.S. instituted "The Anti-Saloon League", a > herald to the following period of prohibition. Women in Norway, who > got their suffrage the very year "John Barleycorn"'s publishing, were > the main forces behind the temperance movement. The prohibition in > Norway was a direct result of their work, and for the following > decades they continued to vote alcohol down in a series of local > referendums. Are these features still characteristic of today's > situation? Are women still hostile to alcohol? What are women's > interests in relation to alcohol? What influence does alcohol have on > women's situation of today? Should we regard women's increased > consumption as a step towards liberation and equality between the > sexes? What are the responsiblities of the feminist movement in order > to answer these questions? > > Are women still hostile to alcohol? > > The number of alcohol consumers divides almost equal between the > sexes: 82% of Norwegian women and 89% of Norwegian men drink alcohol. > However, if we compare women's drinking to men's average consumption, > we will find that women drink only one third of this quantity. On the > other hand, women now drink more than they did just twenty years ago. > According to SIFA (the Norwegian national institute for research on > alcohol and narcotics), the consumption of alcohol developes gradually > on an equal basis for both sexes, until a "normal" difference is > established at the age of 18-19. Boys usually drink far more beer than > girls do, and the difference is even more pronounced when it comes to > liquor. On the other hand, girls will match boys in their consummation > of wine, and even seem to exceed them a bit in some age groups. > National analyses questioning people of all ages, show that business > women drink more alcohol than do housewives. Even though women no > longer can be said to wholly abstain from alcohol, they still seem to > be somewhat more sceptical of this intoxicant than are men. > > What are women's interests in relation to alcohol? > > From a biological point of view, there are strong reasons for this > female scepticism. Women's bodies are smaller than men's, and because > their cells contain more fat women will easily become as drunk as men, > even if they drink only half as much. "Drinking like a man" women > expose themselves to an even greater risk of accidents, injuries and > addiction. For women, a pint of beer or 1/4 bottle of wine each day is > more than the body can endure, and over time serious health problems > will emerge. > > > Most women have the ability to give birth. One should keep in [Image] > mind that embryos are vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. > Pregnant women can cause severe injuries to their child by drinking > excessively. The effects could turn out to be a deformed face or body, > hampering of natural development, or a brain damage. Figures from > Norway show that every year 150-200 newborn children suffer from these > damages. The increasing tendency for miscarriages, prematurity and > still-born babies could also be related to alcohol consumption. The > risk of such events happening, will increase at a consumption > exceeding 1/3-1/2 bottle of wine a day. > > Before modern contraceptives were put to use, women had to be > particulary aware of certain alcohol-related risks. Children were > supposed to be born into a family that was able to provide for them > and educate them properly, and pregnancy had to be avoided when these > conditions could not be fulfilled. In spite of the fact that both > sexes were familiar with these circumstances, women usually had to > take both the responsibility and the precautions. Sobriety could be > crucial in avoiding unwanted pregnancy. Today the supply of > contraceptives has improved, and having sex does not necessarily lead > to pregnancy. Casual sex, on the other hand, is often closely related > to alcohol, and can have several consequenses. The most saddening > examples are young girls who become mothers before they have completed > their education, or established any familiy. As we know, this may lead > to abortions. The risk of venereal diseases is another incentive to be > aware of the risk of casual relationships. > > According to earlier Western feminine ideals, women should be very > careful in respect to alcohol. As "the weaker sex", they should either > avoid it completely, or at most drink very small quantities of wine. A > "lady" should never expose herself to the shame of showing up in > public when affected by alcohol, because drunken women ment > embarrasment to everybody. Only recently scientific work has > discovered the biologically determined consequences of women's > drinking. Perhaps this former feminine ideal is an expression of > ancient knowledge, a combination of biology and a sort of social > awareness, urging every woman to secure her own future by avioding > unwanted pregnancy. > > During the centuries, women have fought alcohol for more reasons than > the threat of public disgrace. More serious were drunken men's > violence towards their wives and children. Fekjaer (1987) states that > the temperance movement was not instituted to protect the liver, but > took bound to take shape as a popular movement to protect women and > children from the abuse from drunken men. The delegates at a Norwegian > national women congress in 1925 (held by the Norwegian Labour Party) > voted for prohibition to be upheld, although this act was about to be > repealed. A majority of the arguments in the debate cited alcohol as > the main cause of violence and abuse. The police stored piles of > reports concerning abuse of women, despite the fact that very few had > the courage to report their husband to the authorities. > > Gitta Joenson from Tromsx was quoted as saying: > > "Up till now, working class women have been working as > cleaning staff employed by drunkenness. Physically and > spiritually they have been forced to deal with the filth > caused by drunkenness. When we meet tired faces and apathy > within the Labour movement, and when we realize that these > people have no jobs and no food, we have to take action, and > shout our demand: Get the liquor out of our life! This must > be the task of the workers and their wives." > > The Sweedish pioneer among working class women, Kata Dahlstroem, > pointed at another aspect of alcohol at a similar Sweedish congress in > 1908, where as many as five legislative proposals concerning alcohol > were treated. She stated: > > "...a drunken worker will never be able to comprehend the > ideas of this organization". > > The aspect of passivity was an important argument in the debate at the > time. We can conclude that women and their organizations were fully > aware of the problems they had to face, both as individuals and a > group. Almost every problem was alcohol-related, in one way or > another. Have these problems changed their contents today? > > What does alcohol mean to women's situation in today's Norway? > > "Oppression" still has to be the key word. Everybody will agree that > oppression of women still takes place, regardless of all acts > concerning equality between the sexes. This oppression is partly > determined by informal rules and traditions in our society; but will > also appear as results of personal attitudes which of course mingle > with tradition and common prejudices. The society oppresses women both > as a sex and as a class. Obvious examples are women who are more or > less forced into low-wage jobs, still retaining full responsiblity for > domestic work and children. Oppression of women is thus exercised both > economically, politically, idiologically and sexually. Sooner or later > these conditions will provoke two types of reactions: Escape and > adaption, or resistance. Women's increased consumption of alcohol will > erode their ability to fight, and promote escape and adaption as the > easy way out. We know that women's alcohol problems are increasing. If > the social consequences of alcohol have not changed over the last > decades, increased consummatiom among women will inevitably lead to > increased passivity. Formerly, this phenomenon was common among men, > but it has now extended to mark the attitudes of women as well. Or are > feminist organizations satisfied as long as they manage to attract new > members into their lines? > > In other words, alcohol will have severe consequences for women, > whether they choose to join or refrain from the drinking. The wide > expansion of alcohol has contributed to women and the female body > beeing viewed as a commodity, an item to buy and sell. Prostitution is > among the more extreme results. Without the presence of alcohol, > prostitution as a phenomenon would lose important factors that > constitute its basis. Most of the girls in this profession have a > family background sharply marked by alcohol-related problems. > Prostitutes frequently feel the need to drug themselves to endure > their work, and alcohol is a cheap solution. Prostitutes and customers > often make their contacts in places where alcohol holds a strong > position, i.e. clubs and restaurants. Pimps also frequently operate > from clubs. The wish for contact with a prostitute will often be > strengthened when potential customers are affected by alcohol. This is > not presented as a thorough analysis of the nature of prostitution, > but maybe these arguments illuminate some aspects of the problem that > have been avoided so far by experts as well as politicians. > > Our traditions concerning alcohol permits drunken people to deny any > responsibility for their actions and statements. Silly or unacceptable > actions can be performed, whith the blame being put on the alcohol, > and therefore the performer maintains his self-respect. Alcohol used > as an explanation will also be accepted by this person's community. > Conditions like these allow i.e. the more brutal aspects of male > ideals to dominate the personality of a drunken man. Alcohol can > easily scratch the thin surface displaying a "modern" view of women, > which are results from the last decades' education and work for > equality between the sexes. Without the presence of alcohol, the > chatting-up atmpsphere in clubs and discoteques would be very > different. Violence against women would be less prevalent, as we know > that 60% of all rapes are committed when the rapist is affected by > alcohol. A Norwegian analysis questioning abused women, asked for > their opinions of motives for the rape. The answers placed alcohol as > a reason above problems like jealousy and quarreling over money. An > American analysis concludes that compared to men, women are more > likely to be troubled by other people's drunken behaviour, also when > they do not drink themselves. Men can also become victims if such > behaviour turns violent, but they as victims often start out by taking > part in the drinking themselves. Women are thus more vulnerable to > other people's drinking. > > When we look at women's situation today, we see that the majority of > their problems are caused by structural conditions in society. Some > examples are kindergartens, places of work, the wages question, and > the availability of supplementary training. Men and women have common > interests in most of these issues, so the problems concerning women > cannot be solved unless men are involved. Alcohol is one of the > factord that work to split the interests of the sexes, spurring > hostlilty. Alcohol is presumably the cause of every fifth divorce in > Norway today, affecting about 2000 children each year. Most of women's > problems cannot be solved individually, although a woman will often > try. This pattern of trying to solve problems that are shared by amny > individually will inevitably lead to disunity, making it easier to > oppress women. Escape and adaption to a miserable life are increasing > problems in this group. > > The international brewery corporations have made women their > particular target group. Cookery books and recipes promoting the use > of alcohol is a natural part of their marketing. In Norway, the > distribution of beer through grocery stores is a drive for the capture > of women as costumers. Women are often responsible for most of the > shopping, and will thus be exposed to the commercials based on the > strategy of unplanned and impulse-induced shopping. Light-wine as an > item in Norwegian grocery stores is another example of the expanding > wine-drinking culture, something that women have proved to be least > able to resist. Newspaper articles and reports recommending wine can > be viewed as ideological attempts to influence both the everyday life > and more festive occasions in almost every family. Magazines, > newspapers, television and movies will present the self-reliant woman > as consuming as much alcohol as any man. > > Should the increased consumption be viewed as a step towards > liberation of women and equality between the sexes? > > On the background of what has already been said, the answer must be > "no". On the other hand, there has been no discussion of alcohol in > the feminist organizations. They can even advertise their meetings by > underlining alcohol as a part of the social atmosphere, to attract > people's attention. A Norwegian feminist group organized a sit-in at a > pub in Oslo in the 1970's, because only men were allowed as customers. > Women in the social democratic movement in the 1920's and 30's worked > for equality between the sexes, but this should not be achieved by > conquering men's bad "rights". Will today's women see men's > alcohol-traditions as a benefit worth fighting for, or should our > knowledge of the consequences mean that the work for equality must be > fought through a reduction of the total consummation? Should the > feminist's disinterest in these problems be interpreted as ignorance > of female pride and knowledge? Or could the disinterest appear to be a > result of a feminist movement dominated by resourceful, educated > bourgeois women, who promote a carreer and an individuality that will > survive in a man's world? Should women like Margareth Tatcher and the > Norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland be viewed as the > feminine ideal, or should we take our examples from pioneers like Kata > Dahlstroem or Gitta Joensson? > > What are the responsibilities of the feminist movement? > > This question is not easy to answer, but as long as alcohol is the > major single cause of abuse of women and increasing dependency upon > social assistance, feminist organizations have to start discussing a > strategy to meet this problem, which in fact concerns women in > general. > > What is the League Against Intoxicants? > > The League Against Intoxicants aims to solve important drug-related > problems. > > The League Against Intoxicants will urge people to join our work > against the spreading and use of drugs. We will prove the harmful > effects of alcohol, narcotics, tranquilizers and chemicals for > inhalation; and show how intoxicants affect both individuals and the > society. > > The League Against Intoxicants point at concrete means to reduce both > the use of and the injuries caused by intoxicants. We want to uncover > the strong forces in our society, that work to maintain and increase > the consumption, and therefore the effects, of alcohol. > > The League Against Intoxicants will make an appeal for people to be > concious of their responsibility to stop or reduce their drinking > whilst among their friends, and to participate in work to prevent > drug-related injuries. Our object is to raise a popular consensus to > support an active governmental drug policy. > > The League Against Intoxicants demand that the authorities will put > their alcohol policy into action, not words. The World's Health > Organization (WHO) recommends that the consumption of alcohol should > be reduced with 25 percent towards the end of the century. > > [Image] > > The League Against Intoxicants says "yes" to intoxicating experiences > caused by a natural stimulation of the senses. We want to promote the > kicks caused by high speed, excitement, creative work, nature, music, > art, physical exercise, sex, love, friendship, and solidarity. > > The League Against Intoxicants says "no" to people using "fake" > stimulans like alcohol, narcotics and tranquilizers to produce these > feelings. > > The League Against Intoxicants will work to stop both the spreading > and the use of intoxicants, which apathize the users and hamper > individual development. > > The League Against Intoxicants will urge everybody to fight the apathy > and contamination represented by intoxicants. We take our standpoint > seriously, and base our work on total temperance. > > The League Against Intoxicantsworks through small groups and units in > Norway. Everybody who agrees are welcome as members in the League. A > membership means environmental care working against drugs, carried > forth by the courage of strong opinions. A personal standpoint and > attitude are effective ways to fight both drinking pressure and a > drug-promoting culture. > > Everybody willing to join us where they live, as members and/or by > spreading information about our standpoints, please do not hesitate to > call or write our office: > > The League Against Intoxicants > Mxllergata 38 > N-0179 Oslo > Norway > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Kaj Hejer, [log in to unmask], 15. oct. 1995