Under the Influence

This week is Alcohol Awareness Week; you know where I am going with this. I  especially want to call your attention to the adverse effects of alcohol on women. Check out the info graph listed below; it highlights significant differences between males and females concerning alcohol consumption. Check to see how being under the influence affects women who consume alcohol on the regular.

Alcohol affects men and women differently.  Many people think it’s just because men are more prominent and can handle their alcohol better, but weight isn’t the only factor.

Of women who drink, 1 in 10 have more than one drink daily. Women are more likely to drink too much if they have any of the following:

– The ability to ‘hold her liquor’ more than others
– History of childhood physical or sexual abuse
– History of depression
– Partner who drinks excessively
– Parents or siblings with drinking problems

Drinking alcohol is more likely to damage a woman’s health than a man’s, even if the woman has been drinking less alcohol for a shorter period.  Women who drink have a greater risk of heart disease, brain disease, liver disease, and breast cancer.

Women are more likely to suffer from mental health and other problems: anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorders, eating disorders, abusing other drugs, sexual assault, and domestic violence.

National Alcohol Screening Day is Thursday, April 9.  Don’t become one of the 6 million women who abuse or are under the influence of alcohol.

Have a great, wonderful week.