A recent study of male and female
social drinkers found that men had a greater dopamine release than women in an area of the brain called the ventral striatum, which is strongly associated with pleasure, reinforcement, and addiction formation.
Not exact matches
Published in an upcoming issue of Clinical Psychological Science, the researchers
found that compared to their peers who drink only in
social settings, teens who drink alone have more alcohol problems, are heavier
drinkers and are more likely to drink in response to negative emotions.
As I
found when I posted new study this on facebook — Moderate alcohol consumption as risk factor for adverse brain outcomes and cognitive decline — many
social drinkers also get upset when you point out research like this because they don't want to have to give it up.
As an example, some dating websites allow you to
find people by their hair color, eye color, height, and even if they are
social drinkers and smokers.