Get high, get going, Lady!

Is it just the boys and men who drink or are even young girls and women following in their footsteps in the state? When boys drink, there’s nothing wrong in it, they say, but when girls drink all is not well. Why? This is general question that girls and women ask. “We don’t turn drunkards, we drink only to enjoy,” they say.Most of the ‘girl drinkers’ had their first sip at the tender age of 15. Before the age of 20, these young girls get a taste of alcohol. What influences them to drink at this age is very obvious. Curiosity, peer pressure or ‘just for fun’ in cases. “I work  for an MNC and we often have official parties and meetings. Being in a good position I cannot say ‘no’ to drinks. It reflects my status so I opted for  it. Later I followed it up as a trend in social gatherings,” says Sumita.Clubbing, parties and pubbing are all routine in these young girls’ lives and they enjoy their weekends at pubs and discos.“With such a heavy workload, I become so stressed that on weekends I prefer to go to pubs with my friends. We have lots of fun; we enjoy drinks and DJ music to get my feet moving. It’s real fun,” says Priyanka. The majority of these girls make it a point to spend their weekends at pubs. “Since I am working, I can’t enjoy going to pubs every weekend but once a month I visit a pub with my colleagues” says Deepika. There are many others who don’t prefer going to pubs but instead enjoy drinking with their families.“Me and my family plan for a drinking session  once every month. My Dad is the one who serves the drinks to my mom and sis. We discuss my college life and the fun we have. We share almost everything. I enjoy it a lot,” says Neeta.Most  of the girls prefer  to have drinks like tequila,  beer, champagne, cocktails and vodka as they feel that it’s the best choice of drink for women. The most popular drink among college-going girls are beer, vodka and champagne. “I don’t like hard liquor like whiskey as it gets you high too quickly. Vodka speeds up brain activity while brandy is best when I am tired and worn out,” says Sunitha.And each of these women have their own preferences when it comes to brands. “For each drink I have a favourite brand. I prefer Kingfisher for beer, Smirnoff for vodka, and Irish Bailey for tequila because of its great taste and nice feeling. It is very smooth,” says Kavya. Others who opt for hard liquor prefer brands like Haywards 2000, McDowell and Red Label as they give a strong effect and is affordable.And where do they get the money from? “Well, it’s from our pocket money.”  There are many who don’t need to spend as they enjoy the sessions with their parents. “Since I have it at parties or with my friends I don’t have to spend on it personally,” says Neena. Well, if you think that their parents aren’t aware of this trend, you are wrong.“My parents know that I pubhop with friends and that I consume alcohol. They know that I only enjoy drinking for pleasure. I am not a compulsive alcoholic so they don’t mind,” says Nimita. The trend is quite prevalent and the young girls are not at all apologetic about it as they are well aware that it will not turn into an  addiction.