(Lincoln, ME--) In the United States, sixty percent of women have a least one drink a year, but it’s the next statistic that is more startling. Among those who do drink, 13 percent have more than seven drinks a week. This level of alcohol intake is above the recommended limits published in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (www.nutritian.gov)

April is Alcohol Awareness month, and SPRINT for Life in Lincoln and Penobscot Valley Hospital are asking people to consider how much alcohol they consume and what impact it may be having on their health.

Even in small doses, alcohol can have negative effects on women—much more so than in men. No amount of drinking is 100 percent safe all of the time for every woman. There are many factors that contribute to how risky the drinking is for any one woman, including pre-existing conditions.

How Much Is Too Much?

The Dietary Guidelines define moderate drinking as no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men. Those same guidelines say that drinking even just one more drink per day for women can increase the risk for motor vehicle crashes, other injuries, high blood pressure, stroke, violence, suicide, and certain types of cancer. Government guidelines also show that some people should not drink at all, including:

· Anyone under age 21
· People of any age who are unable to restrict their drinking to moderate levels
· Women who may become pregnant or who are pregnant
· People who plan to drive, operate machinery, or take part in other activities that require attention, skill, or coordination
· People taking prescription or over-the-counter medications that can interact with alcohol.

So why do women have different standards than men when it comes to how much they drink? That’s because women are at greater risk than men for developing alcohol-related problems. Alcohol passes through the digestive tract and is dispersed in the water in the body. The more water is present, the more diluted the alcohol. Generally, men weigh more than women. That means women tend to have less water in their bodies than men. Consequently, a woman’s brain and other organs are exposed to more alcohol and to more of the toxic byproducts that result when the body breaks down and eliminates alcohol.

Alcohol and Young Women

Research from the U.S. Department and Health and Human Services shows about 37 percent of 9th grade girls (who are normally about 14 to 15 years old) admitted to drinking in the past month. The rate is even higher for 9th grade boys. Despite the fact that the drinking age is 21 in every state, the reality is that many adolescents do consume alcohol.

Drinking is one of the leading causes of deaths among teens, but it also makes young women more vulnerable to sexual assault and unsafe and unplanned sex. Government statistics also show that young people who began drinking before the age of 15 have a 40-percent higher risk of developing alcohol abuse or alcoholism some time in their lives than those who wait until they are 21 to begin drinking.

The Long Term Effects

Long-term health problems from heavy drinking include liver, heart, and brain disease; suppression of the immune system; and cancer. Because women are more likely to become pregnant in their twenties and thirties, this age group faces the greatest risk of having babies with the growth and mental impairments of fetal alcohol syndrome, which is caused by drinking during pregnancy.

When older women engage in heavy alcohol consumption is places them in a new category of at risk individuals. Many women over 50 are on medications to control blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and other conditions, and alcohol can cause dangerous reactions when combined with these medications.

Many other problems can emerge with heavy alcohol consumption, including:

· Endangering yourself and others while driving under the influence
· Missing work or skipping child care responsibilities
· Being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol
· Continuing to drink even though there are ongoing alcohol-related tensions with friends and family

Alcoholism or alcohol dependence is a chronic disease which can be progressive and life threatening. For more information on how to help a loved one with his or her dependence on alcohol or to get help for yourself, talk to your primary care physician.