Young women are now drinking MORE alcohol than men for the first time

Young women are now drinking more alcohol than their male counterparts for the first time in history, according to new research.

The study shows that the number of women who drink alcohol has been steadily on the rise for the past 60 years - with those under the age of 35 may now be drinking more than men of the same age.

Historically, men have been far more likely to drink alcohol and to drink it in quantities that damaged their health, with some figures suggesting up to a 12-fold difference between the sexes.

However, evidence is beginning to emerge that suggests this gap is narrowing, according to researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

Study: Women under 35 are drinking more alcohol than their male counterparts, according to research (Rex/posed by models)

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Study author Dr Tim Slade, from the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, said: “Alcohol use and alcohol use disorders have historically been viewed as a male phenomenon.

"The present study calls this assumption into question and suggests that young women in particular should be the target of concerted efforts to reduce the impact of substance use and related harms.”

Men born between 1891 and 1910 were twice as likely as their female peers to drink alcohol but this became virtually equal among those born between 1991 and 2000.

Role reversal: Men have historically been more likely to drink more alcohol than women (Rex/posed by models)

Pooled data, from a total sample size of more than four million, showed that the gap between the sexes consistently narrowed across three categories of drinking - any use, problematic use, and use that caused harm over time.

Out of the 42 studies showing evidence for the gender gap closing, most of them proved this was driven by women drinking more, as opposed to men drinking less.

Five per cent of the sex ratios were less than one, suggesting that women born after 1981 may actually be drinking more than their male peers.

Dr Slade added: “The results have implications for the framing and targeting of alcohol use prevention and intervention programmes.”

Top pic: Rex/posed by models