The research took place in an area with a high density of licensed establishments for selling alcohol and with a female population containing large numbers of women who were young, students, and professionals and thus considered to be potentially risky drinkers. The participants represented a response rate of 74 percent. The analysis used an AUDIT score of 8 as the cutoff point. Twenty-one percent of the women were at risk of having problems associated with their alcohol consumption. These women were more likely than women who scored less than eight to be beer drinkers, to drink at licensed premises, and to drink with male and female friends. Higher AUDIT scores were also associated with being unmarried. Findings suggested that examining the social and contextual factors associated with women's potentially problematic drinking can promote more effective community-based interventions. Tables and 38 references (Author abstract modified)