The document discusses substance use patterns among women and how alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, and illegal drugs can negatively impact women's health. It notes that alcohol is the most commonly used substance, with 45% of women over 12 drinking, while 21% smoke tobacco. It then outlines various health risks of substance abuse like cancer, liver disease, birth defects, and addiction. The document explores reasons for use such as social pressures and targeted marketing. It concludes by offering guidance on harm reduction, treatment options, and policies to address substance abuse issues impacting women.

1. Chapter 3
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Mood-Altering
Drugs
http://blog.oup.com/2011/12/beer-3/
Sarah Meinelt
HE210-OL

2. Drugs Women and Girls Use:
The Stats
 Alcohol- most common drug used by women;
45% of women over the age of 12
 Tobacco- 21% of women smoke
 Mood-Altering Prescription Drugs- includes
drugs such as pain relievers, sedatives,
stimulants, and tranquilizers. Approximately
3% of women over age 12 have reported
using them for nonmedical reasons. (2002
survey)
 Illegal Drugs- 6% of women in the US over
age 12 were current users of illegal drugs in
2002; most common: Marijuana

3. How Substance Abuse Affects
Our Health: Alcohol
 Can diminish: motor coordination, judgment,
emotional control, and reasoning power
 Can disrupt normal menstrual cycles
 Increases risk of: mouth, esophageal, and
liver cancer, major depression, epilepsy,
hemorrhagic stroke, and cirrhosis of the liver
 Other risks: hypertension, osteoporosis,
breast cancer, gastric ulcers, and alcohol
hepatitis
 Drinking during pregnancy can cause
permanent birth defects and developmental
disabilities

4. How Substance Abuse Affects
Our Health: Tobacco
 Approximately 178,000 US women die from
smoking-related diseases each year
 Smokers are twice as likely to have heart attacks
and strokes
 Smoking causes 90% of all lung cancer deaths
and lung diseases
 Smoking increases risk of cervical cancer
 Women who smoke may have more difficulty
getting pregnant, have more period problems,
and go into menopause earlier
 Smoking during pregnancy can pass chemicals
to the fetus- newborns in homes of smokers are
more likely to die of sudden infant death
syndrome

5. Secondhand Smoke
 Exposure to secondhand
smoke is very dangerous and
poses a health hazard
 Regular exposure can cause
lung and heart disease
including: lung cancer in
adults, pneumonia, bronchitis,
asthma, and chronic ear
infections in children www.sacramentorealestatelawyerblog
.com/2011/09/lease-goes-up-in-
smoke.html
 Approximately 36,000 women
die each year due to
secondhand smoke exposure

6. How Substance Abuse Affects
Our Health: Tranquilizers
 Tranquilizers are commonly prescribed for
short-term relief of anxiety, sleeping
problems, and withdrawal from other drugs
 Can be highly addictive, even at standard
doses
 Withdrawal symptoms: increased anxiety and
panic attacks, flu-like symptoms,
hypersensitivity to light, depression,
dizziness, weakness, tremors, heart
palpitations, sweating, nausea, indigestion,
bodily pains
 Coming off the drug: consider tapering

7. How Substance Abuse Affects
Our Health: Ecstasy
 Ecstasy is a synthetic combination
drug that has both stimulant and
hallucinogenic effects- can have
positive relaxing and social effects
 Use in settings such as raves can
cause severe dehydration, heat
exhaustion, and liver malfunction http://www.562citylife.com/profiles/blogs/the-long-beach-rave-scen
 Short term effects: paranoia,
anxiety, depression
 Long term effects: impairment in
mental function and memory
 Women are more sensitive to the
effects of Ecstasy than men- more
intense perceptual changes and
more long-term affects
http://hometestingblog.testcountry.com/?p=8964

8. Influences on Use- Why do we
still use these substances?
 Promotion- companies try to make us think
that these substances will bring us health,
happiness, success, sophistication, and
freedom
 Personal and Social Pressures- organize
social relationships, carve out time for
ourselves, control our emotions, create an
image, source of comfort and dependability
 Addiction- may be afraid or not know how to
stop, don’t know where to get help, many
women deny they have a problem, women
can be ashamed of the consequences of their
use leading them to be immobile

9. Promotions- Targeting Women
 Women have specifically been
targeted by tobacco companies
 1960s and 1970s- ads equated
smoking with
independence, sophistication, a
nd beauty. Brands called “thins”
and “slims” played into social
pressures for women to control
weight
 1970s- “low tar” or “light”
cigarettes: all a myth to get
women to maintain their
addiction and prevent them
from quitting
 Recent years- themes of
rebelliousness
http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i18.full

10. Reducing the Risks
 General Guidelines:
◦ Tobacco - no level of use is safe
◦ Alcohol - have no more than one drink a day
◦ Do not drink: if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, before you
drive, if you are taking medication that reacts negatively with
alcohol, if you have medical problems that get worse with
drinking, if you have addiction problems
 Know the drugs you are taking
 Don’t take drugs at parties or clubs
 Don’t mix drugs
 Know your body’s limits and reactions
 Never share needles
 Be aware of how your choices may influence other areas of
your life
 Find other ways to reduce stress, cope with life, and have fun

11. Finding Help
 Quitting Smoking:
◦ Go “Cold turkey”
◦ Use self-help materials available online
◦ Attend classes or support groups
◦ Call “quit lines”
◦ Receive counseling from health care providers
◦ Take medication: nicotine replacement, prescription nasal
inhaler or spray, antidepressants
 There is no right or wrong method- assistance
increases the chances of success
 Self-help groups (i.e. Alcoholics Anonymous)
 Over 2 million Americans, ages 12+, receive some kind
of special care each year for substance abuse (another
20 million people probably need it)

12. Working Together- Prevention,
Treatment, and Policy
 Drug Policy Alliance- leading US
organization working toward “new drug
policies based on science, compassion,
health, and human rights”
 A number of policies have improved
public health and reduced smoking
 Health providers have been working to
develop trauma, mental health, and
substance use programs based on
women’s needs

13. Quote
 “I’ve been a waitress for forty years to
earn a decent living for my daughter
and myself. My doctor told me I had a
smoker’s tumor, and therefore I’m
dying. I never smoked a day in my
life.” pg. 48

14. Discussion Question
 Have you put yourself in a dangerous
situation involving drugs or alcohol
and realized after the fact that you
need to make a change? What led you
to finally decide to make that change?
How did you go about making that
change?