Binge drinking:
A health problem for women and girls
By Michelle Plourde Chasse
“Binge drinking among women and girls is a dangerous problem,” according to the January 2013 Vital Signs report that 1 in 5 high school girls and 1 in 8 women aged 18 and older binge drink. Women who binge drink have about six drinks per binge and do so about three times per month. In 2011 almost 12 percent of Maine women reported binge drinking, an increase from 9.2 percent the year before.
Binge drinking for women — consuming four or more drinks per occasion — increases the chances of breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke, and can lead to consequences such as injuries, violence, unintended pregnancy, and STDs. For teenagers and young adults, binge drinking can affect brain development and learning and memory problems. Drinking during pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Maine girls may be listening to the facts about the risks of binge drinking. When asked how many days in the past month they had five or more drinks in a row, in 2009 17 percent of Maine high school girls reported binge drinking at least once, and 1 in 5 (20.8 percent) thought there was little or no risk to having five or more drinks, once or twice a week. But in 2011, the numbers dropped to 14.5 percent girls binge drinking and 15.3 percent thinking it was harmful. In Aroostook County (2011) the number of female students binge drinking and thinking there is no risk is slightly less, 13.9 percent and 13.6 percent respectively.
While progress has been made in educating the community about the health effects and dangers of binge drinking, we all should be concerned about the consequences of high risk drinking. Drinking too much can impact your health, and consuming too much alcohol in a short period of time can lead to alcohol poisoning. Mixing alcohol with any medications or illegal drugs is risky.
Concerned about a friend, family member or yourself?
• For information about teens and alcohol, monitoring tips and talking with your teen about alcohol, visit www.maineparents.net.
• To assess if your drinking may be harmful, visit www.alcoholscreening.org.
• To learn more about how to get help or education on alcohol and other drugs visit the Maine Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services at www.maineosa.org.
• Read more about binge drinking and alcohol’s impact on health and safety at the National Institutes of Health website: www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health.
Michelle Plourde Chasse of Community Voices can be reached at 834-5021 or via e-mail at michelleplourdechasse@sad27.org.
