The language of intoxication is remarkably different when it comes to men and women. There have been studies done by researchers at the department of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri, which report that tremendous variations occur depending on the amount of alcohol a person consumes as an individual and how the effects differ on different occasions. In these studies it was found that men tend to use more heavy intoxicated words such as "hammered" to describe their state of intoxication between moderate to heavy and are relatively more forceful in their tone. Women tend to use more moderate words such as "tipsy" to describe their level of intoxication of four drinks in a two hour period, which actually meets binge-drinking criteria for women but not men. Since women use euphemistic terms such as "tipsy" to describe their level of intoxication more so than men, women are potentially mislead and often feel as though they are capable of driving after drinking because they are "only tipsy". This is also similar to other gender differences in slang use such men sweat and women glow. The discrepancies between these objective and subjective effects can help the clinician assess tolerance and sensitivity. They could also aid in the development of gender-sensitive interventions by helping them understand which terms men and women usually use to describe their levels of intoxication. Therefore helping interventionists to better relate to those they are trying to help during an intervention. Even though "drunk" is the oldest English-language intoxication-related synonym currently used today individuals do not perceive "drunk" in the same way. So, the question remains how do you really know how drunk a person is by them telling you? It's obvious that each individual has a different tolerance for alcohol consumption and each has their own way of expressing how they are feeling at any giving time on different occasions. In the past alcohol researchers have largely ignored the language of intoxication and have relied largely on objective measures which do not reflect individual subjective differences in drinking experiences.

These new studies are a major break through for researchers and in March of 2009 results will be published in the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental. It's amazing how different we are as men and women and how our gender effects the way we perceive the world. Research on alcohol use between men and women is only one of the many ways to describe how we are effected on different levels. The research that's being done is going to be a great help to clinicians giving them more insight on the patients they see. Even though this research is a help flow to the medical profession and the public it still does not replace the vast need for rehabilitation services that are needed in the United States due to alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is wide spread across the U.S. and many other countries and is often the cause of many lives that are lost on a daily basis. If you or someone you know is suffering with alcohol abuse please contact a counselor for help.