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Chapter 3: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Mood-Altering Drugs
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?