Women and young adults suffer most from other people's drinking

Research on alcohol-related harm has predominantly focused on harm suffered by the drinker and priority has been given to health-related harms. In comparison, studies on alcohol's harms to others than the drinker are scarce. This study sought to examine the human sufferings from other people's drinking both in the public and in the private sphere.

The data of our study come from the Finnish Drinking Habits Survey carried out by face-to-face interviews from two separate simple random samples among Finns aged 15-69. In 2000 the response rate was 78% (n = 1932) and in 2008 74% (n = 2725).

Women experience much more negative consequences from others' drinking than men do in both public and private spaces. Regarding public places, people under the age of 30 experience harm most frequently. In the private sphere, harms experienced by women were more prevalent and more serious in character.

Women carry a notably heavier burden of problems related to other peoples' drinking.