Dying for a drink? How midlife NZ women think about alcohol – and its long-term risks

For many midlife women busily juggling work and care responsibilities, an evening glass of wine can feel like the perfect antidote.

But that everyday habit comes with real risks. Beyond the familiar hangover, alcohol is linked to at least seven types of cancer, including breast, bowel, mouth and throat cancer. Even one drink a day increases that risk, and it rises further with each additional drink.

Around 70% of women in Aotearoa New Zealand reported drinking alcohol in 2024–25, according to national health data. Among women aged 35 to 54 who drink, around 16–18% consumed six or more standard drinks on a single occasion at least once a month, and around 5–10% did so at least weekly.

Just what do they think about the risks, how do they balance them with the demands of everyday life, and where do societal expectations fit in?

Our latest research set out to answer these questions – and found the picture is more complicated than it might first appear.

What women told us

We interviewed 50 women aged 35 to 60, both individually and in friendship groups, to explore how they understand and manage their drinking.

Overall, 29 drank alcohol at least twice a week, and 25 usually had three or more drinks on each occasion. A smaller group of ten drank five or more drinks in a single sitting at least once a week.

We found the women were highly aware of alcohol’s immediate effects. They spoke about its impact on sleep, energy levels and weight, drawing on both expert advice and their own experiences of how their bodies responded to drinking, particularly around menopause.

However, they spoke far less about the longer-term health risks. When it did come up, some said they would feel very guilty about their drinking if it later led to cancer.

This focus on alcohol’s immediate effects reflects the pressures many women feel in midlife. Today’s “empowered” woman is expected to juggle work and family, care for others, and maintain her own health and appearance.

Keeping up with these demands often means closely managing energy, sleep and wellbeing. This sense of self-monitoring was also clear in how women described their drinking.

Many spoke about tracking how much they drank and how it affected their sleep, energy and mood, then using that to guide their decisions. Drinking was often seen as acceptable once work and parenting responsibilities had been met, and when they felt they were maintaining their health and appearance through diet.

Women who drank more heavily often emphasised how they balanced this with other health behaviours. They described exercising, eating well, managing stress and tracking their consumption through apps, with some also using digital devices to monitor their health.

They also talked of staying aware of their mental state while drinking. For some, alcohol was not seen as a problem if they felt in control – calm, happy and drinking for enjoyment.

Challenging the idea of ‘responsible drinking’

Notably, the women often positioned themselves as responsible drinkers – even if they were drinking heavily.

This aligns with wider messaging from the alcohol industry and public health campaigns that people should “drink responsibly”. The idea suggests there are safe or acceptable levels of drinking, while placing the responsibility on individuals to decide where that line sits.

Yet women live in a climate that encourages alcohol consumption. Alcohol remains socially expected, widely available and pervasive in everyday environments.

Alcohol is often marketed to women as a form of self-care: a way to relax, connect and unwind. Products labelled “low-sugar” or “low-carb” also tap into pressures around body image, creating the impression that some drinks are a healthier choice.

Our findings suggest we need to look beyond individual responsibility and address the wider systems that make drinking feel normal – and even necessary – for many women.

That could mean policy changes such as higher pricing, reduced availability and tighter controls on marketing.

But it also means recognising the pressures many women face, and finding better ways to support them through busy, demanding stages of life that can amplify the pull of alcohol.