Drinking differences linked to higher divorce rates
If you and your honey don't have the same drinking habits, you may be on the road to separation.
At least that's the theory behind a recent study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Drinking little to no alcohol seems to have a positive impact on relationships, while excessive use or abuse of it can derail them.
I'll have another
The study tracked the drinking habits of nearly 20,000 couples over the course of 15 years. In relationships where the women out drank the men, divorce rates skyrocketed.
“In general, women are more affected by drinking than men are. In addition, it is probably less socially acceptable for women to drink a lot, because it interferes with female roles in family life. It is also more noticeable when women drink, because we are more used to men drinking more," said Ask Torvik, author and researcher of the study.
But if both the men and women had the same drinking habits--whether it was to abstain completely or binge drink--the relationships fared better.
Problem drinkers
The issue, researchers found, was when one member drank excessively and the other did not. This led to higher rates of both separation and divorce.
“The interesting thing about this study is that it shows that both the level and the similarity in alcohol use are important for the relationship," concludes Torvik.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health
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