The following is a press release from the Maine Association of Substance Abuse Programs (MASAP). Each week during April, we will feature a different theme in recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month. The second theme is Alcohol & Women.
Augusta, ME – Educate a woman in your life by sharing some of these statistics and have a conversation about alcohol. Alcohol is associated more closely with crimes of sexual violence than any other drug; it is implicated in as many as 73% of all rapes and 70% of all incidents of domestic violence. It is linked to more incidences of violence than illicit drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and PCP.
Barbara Dacri, Executive Director for Crossroads for Women, an organization solely dedicated to substance abuse treatment of woman remarked “Remember who you always wanted to be is our motto because we believe that in treatment women learn who they are and move towards recovery. We need to support women in their journey and having a conversation with girls and young women early can help prevent some of the devastation that can be caused from alcoholism and other addictions.”
Here are some facts about women and girls and alcohol that you might not know*:
- As many as 60% of pregnant women who drink do not discover their condition until after the first trimester. During that time, a woman may unwittingly expose the fetus to dangerous substances.
- The most commonly diagnosed mental health problems among girls and women with alcohol problems are depression, anxiety disorders, borderline personality disorder and eating disorders.
- Teenage girls who drink frequently are almost 6 times more likely to attempt suicide than girls who never drink.
- Up to 50% of people with eating disorders abuse alcohol (and illicit drugs), compared with 9% of the general population, and up to 35% of people who abuse alcohol (and illicit drugs) have eating disorders, compared with 3% of the population.
Guy Cousins, Director of the Maine Office of Substance Abuse, asks “If you think that someone in your life may have a problem with alcohol or other drugs there is help for you and for them. The Maine Office of Substance Abuse has a wealth of resources. and can help visit us at www.maine.gov/dhhs/osa/.”
*These stats were taken from the book Women Under the Influence by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.
The Maine Association of Substance Abuse Programs, Inc. (MASAP) is a non-profit membership organization recognized state-wide and nationally as the voice of substance abuse and addictions in Maine. MASAP represents and advocates for the continuum of substance abuse and addictions services throughout Maine, from prevention through treatment to recovery. To learn more about MASAP please call 207-621-8118 or visit us at www.masap.org.
