Lindsay Lohan’s latest troubles have everyone talking, from the gossip columnists to addiction experts. Will Lohan go to jail after being arrested for her second DUI? Is she, along with other celebrities like Britney Spears, Nicole Richie and Mel Gibson, giving rehab a bad name? Was the alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet a publicity ploy?
In contrast, the Chicago Tribune ran an article by Howard Twitt yesterday that talked about how difficult the disease of alcohol is to overcome. (Read: Why the scourge of alcoholism defies a cure.)
There doesn’t seem to be enough people talking about the serious effects that alcohol can have on people, especially on women. Here are a few quick facts about women and alcohol that research has found:
• Women who drink get drunk faster, becoming addicted more quickly.
• Women develop health problems faster and with less alcohol than men.
• The risk for cirrhosis of the liver becomes significant for women at only 2 drinks per day.
• Hypertension, liver and heart damage occur more rapidly in women alcoholics than in men.
• Alcohol affects women’s brains more rapidly than men’s. (Read the post: Study finds women’s brains more rapidly affected by alcohol than men’s.)
What do you think the media should be talking about regarding Lindsay Lohan, alcoholism and women? We’d love to hear what you think by making a comment on this post.
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