As Women’s Health Month winds down, experts in alcohol abuse are speaking out about an increase in binge drinking among women over the past five years.
A recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women are now binge drinking more than men for the first time in history.
Joanne Hawes – director of clinical operations with the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California – explained that women’s bodies make them more vulnerable to excessive alcohol consumption.
“Alcohol is actually ingested differently for women, and can affect them more quickly,” said Hawes. “So women tend to have health issues more quickly than men. Things like liver damage or brain atrophies, even heart disease.”
Alcoholics Anonymous says 38% of their clients are women, and the proportion has been rising in recent years.
Data from the National Institutes of Health show that nearly one in three young women aged 18 to 25 binge drink on a regular basis.
Hawes added that the stress of holding down a job and caring for children during the COVID lockdown contributed to a rise in alcohol abuse among women.
Dr. Lisa Saul, chief medical officer for women’s health at UnitedHealthcare, said heavy drinking among women has surged by 41% since the pandemic, heightening the risk of cancer.
“Alcohol is a carcinogen,” said Saul, “and we know that it is linked to at least six types of cancer, including breast and colorectal cancer.”
Many employee assistance programs offer help to find treatment. The National Institutes of Health lists alcohol addiction resources on its website, Rethinking Drinking.
