Secondary School Level

Outline: Comparison of female alcoholic to male and societies’ acceptance. Charactristics, research reports and diseases caused among women. Recommendations and steps for reducing alcohol consumption.

Drinking, especially heavy drinking, is less accepted for women than men. Intoxicated women are more dishonoured because of the total non- acceptance of the societies. Women drinkers are said to be secretive drinkers. Compared to male alcoholics women appear to take up drinking at a later age. The shift from controlled to uncontrolled drinking is more rapidly among women than men.

The female alcoholics take on some of the adaptive characteristics of the father including the use of alcohol for escape and relief from tension. It is estimated that around 8% of female alcoholics had alcoholic mothers. Some researchers have reported that female alcoholics drink out of a sense of inadequacy and insecurity developed in early life.

Generally, it is believed that female alcoholics tend to reject female roles. They are more macho than non-alcoholic women. But they appear to be more defenceless than men to many adverse consequences of alcohol use. A higher concentration of alcohol in the blood makes them more weakened than men after drinking equivalent amounts. Research also suggests that women are more at risk to alcohol-related organ injury and social violence.

Women are more vulnerable than men to alcohol-related distress and interpersonal difficulties. Compared with men, women develop liver disease over a shorter period of time. In addition, long-term consumption may lead to brain haemorrhage. It is proved that a brain region involved in directing several brain functions is significantly smaller among alcoholic women compared with both alcoholic men and non- alcoholic women. Women who consume one or two alcoholic drinks per day have a lower death rate from heart disease compared to. Heavy drinkers. Among heavier drinkers, research shows similar rates of alcohol-associated heart disease for both genders. Many studies report that moderate to heavy alcohol intake increases the risk for breast cancer although one study has found no increased breast cancer risk associated with consumption of up to one drink per day.

Addicting to alcohol among women is most common between the ages of 26 to 34 years. It is also common among women who are divorced or separated, however, there are certain recommendations with regard to the reduction of alcohol consumption among females. Advertisements pertaining to alcohol should be stopped. The strength of liquor produced must be progressively reduced. The number of liquor shops both in rural and urban areas must be reduced. Furthermore, liquor shops should remain close for an increasing number of days in a week. High priority must be given to the closure of liquor shops around industrial and developmental project areas.