Alcohol and Women’s Health

Alcohol use and its impact on women’s health is a growing public policy concern.

“For the first time in the history of research on alcohol consumption, teen and young adult females are now more likely to drink and report being drunk than males.” (New Jersey Prevention Network/njpn.org)

Increased alcohol use poses particular risks:

• One serving of alcohol per day increase the risk of breast cancer for women by 5-9 % compared to women who do not drink at all.

• Women are more susceptible to alcohol-related cancers then men

• Women experience blackouts and hangovers at lower doses of alcohol then men

• Women have alcohol-related problems sooner and at a level of consumption lower than men

• Excessive alcohol use is associated with more than 43,000 deaths among women. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Teen females who binge-drink “showed a greater reduction in the size of important brain areas involved in memory and decision-making than teenage boys.” (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism/NIAAA)

Why do women face higher risks ? ‘On average, women weigh less than men. Also, alcohol resides predominantly in body water, and pound for pound, women have less water in their bodies than men. This means that after a woman and a man of the same weight drink the same amount of alcohol, the woman’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC, the amount of alcohol in the blood) will tend to be higher, putting her at greater risk for harm. Other biological differences may contribute as well.” (NIAAA)

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 recommend adult women of legal drinking age drink in moderation by consuming 1 drink or less in a day. Individuals who are pregnant or may be pregnant should avoid alcohol completely.