British women are hitting the bottle as never before, with the "Bridget Jones" habit of balancing "vg" or very good sessions of abstinence against later consumption helping to increase alcohol intake, a report suggested yesterday.

Their drinking is expected to accelerate faster than in many other countries as young professional women follow the male habit of an after work drink to wind down from a stressful day.

Women in their late teens and early 20s are increasingly turning to premium bottled lagers and pre-mixed spirits, instead of the pints of pumped beer and hard liquor shorts favoured by men, according to the market analyst Datamonitor.

The report said the rise of women in higher education and employment had created a different generation of drinkers. The conversion of bars and pubs from predominantly male haunts into unisex areas serving food had helped women to feel comfortable in going for a drink without male company.

Using the standard measure of an alcoholic unit, equivalent to a pub measure of spirits, half a pint of beer or a small glass of wine, Datamonitor surveyed the drinks industry in Britain, seven other EU countries and the US.

Consumption of alcohol by British women was 9.4 units a week - still behind France, Germany, Italy and Spain. But by 2004 consumption was expected to be 11.8 units, behind only Germany on 14.3 and France on 12.9.

The company's drinks analyst, Richard Robinson, said the research indicated that "many consumers follow a 'debits and credits' system which sees them feeling that one session of 'being good', such as going to the gym, earns them an indulgence such as an alcoholic drink. Consumers feel more comfortable about their alcohol intake as they feel able to justify it to themselves."

Bridget Jones, heroine of Helen Fielding's book, weighed up 'vg' against 'v.bad' days for drinking, smoking and weight gain or loss.

Mr Robinson said: "There has been a bit of a flip in attitudes, with people saying they are not going to devote all their energies to getting a body beautiful but want to enjoy themselves at the same time."

Grahame Goodwin, spokesman for the Portman Group, the alcohol industry's body that promotes sensible drinking, said women still lagged far behind men in their consumption. But many people appeared unaware that the government had changed its health guidelines from 14 units a week to two or three a day.

"People trying to be sensible are saving up units for Friday or Saturday night, or both."