Facts to Know

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1. Today, more than four million women in the U.S. use illegal drugs. Nine million women have used illegal drugs in the past year. During the past year, 3.7 million women have taken prescription drugs non-medically. More than 28,000 (70 percent) of the AIDS cases among women are drug-related.

2. Almost half of all women ages 15 to 44 have used illegal drugs at least once in their lifetime. Of these women, nearly two million have used cocaine and more than six million have used marijuana within the past year. Most women drug abusers use more than one drug.

3. The NIAAA recommended limits for alcohol consumption for most women are no more than three standard drinks per day and no more than seven per week. Women age 65 and older should have no more than one standard drink per day or seven standard drinks per week. Pregnant women or women who may become pregnant should not consume any alcohol A standard drink is equivalent to one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler; 8 to 9 ounces of malt liquor; one 5-ounce glass of table wine; 3 to 4 ounces of fortified wine; 2 to 3 ounces of cordial, liqueur or aperitif; 1.5 ounces of brandy; or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.

4. Women who use alcohol and drugs develop substance abuse related health problems faster than men. Women also use drugs and alcohol differently than men:

   • Women are more likely than men to use a combination of alcohol and prescription drugs.

   • Women often begin to abuse alcohol and drugs following depression, to relax on dates, to feel more adequate, to lose weight, to decrease stress or to help them sleep at night. Men usually develop their addiction in the context of heavy drinking with their friends or by themselves.

5. These conditions may increase your risks for developing a substance use disorder: a history of physical or sexual abuse; depression, panic disorder or anxiety; and a family history of substance abuse.

6. Alcohol is absorbed faster in women's bodies because women's stomachs absorb alcohol more rapidly than men. And, women who drink tend to have more concentrated levels of alcohol in their bloodstream than men. Monthly hormonal fluctuations in women may affect how alcohol is metabolized.

7. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in New York City reported that female alcoholics are up to twice as likely to die as male alcoholics in the same age group.

8. Younger women, especially teenagers, are now drinking as much as their male peers. Teenagers who drink are more likely to be sexually active and not protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases.

9. A recently published study noted a sharp rise (up 31 percent between 1993 and 2001) in frequent heavy episodic (binge) drinking among women attending all-women's colleges, and a lesser, but still significant, increase of the same behavior for women in coeducational schools.

10. Having more laws restricting underage drinking or governing the volume of sales and consumption of alcohol is associated with less drinking among underage students.

11. Women of any age who drink are more likely to be the victims of violence, to attempt suicide or overdose than those who do not drink.

12. Substance abuse and addiction to cigarettes, alcohol and psychoactive prescription drugs (tranquilizers and other drugs that affect the mind or behavior) are at epidemic levels for American women 60 years old and older, according to a recent study. Older women are more susceptible to alcohol or drug addiction because tolerance levels decrease as people age.