• Although women drink less than men, the number of women who do drink is significant. Estimates indicate that of the 15.1 million people who abuse alcohol or are alcohol-dependent, 4.6 million are women. That means that roughly one-third of alcoholics are women.
• The number of women who report using illicit drugs is alarming, although women are less likely to use illicit drugs than men. Five percent of women and 8 percent of men report having used illicit drugs during the last 30 days.
• In 1989, 43 percent of drug abuse patients admitted to emergency rooms were female and 56 percent were male.
• Cigarette use among women has decreased at the rate of about 1 percent each year since 1985. Use during the last 30 days by women was at 24.2 percent in 1990, down from a 1985 figure of 28.1 percent.
• Women who drink heavily or are alcoholic are more likely to become victims of the alcohol-related aggression of others, such as date rape.
• Drinking varies among women of different racial or ethnic backgrounds. African American women were more likely to abstain from drinking alcohol (66.9 percent) than White women (52.6 percent) during the month prior to their interview.
• Hispanic women drink infrequently and are more likely than White or African American women to abstain from drinking; however, this may change as they enter new social and work arenas. Abstention rates are greater among Hispanic women who have immigrated to the United States than among younger, American-born Hispanic women.
• Marital status influences drinking habits. Single, divorced, or separated women are more likely to drink heavily and experence alcohol-related problems than women who are married or widowed. Unmarried women who are living with a significant other are most likely to develop drinking problems.
• Despite their relatively low consumption levels, women account for nearly one-half of cirrhosis deaths among American Indians.
• According to a 1990 household survey, 0.5 percent of women had used cocaine during the last 30 days. That is a large decrease from a similar 1985 study, which estimated that 2 percent of women had used cocaine during the past month.
• In 40 percent of 1989 emergency room episodes involving female patients, the motive for using drugs was suicide, compared to 20 percent of male emergency room episodes.
• The impact of alcohol appears to be greater upon women than men.
• Abuse of prescribed tranquilizers is more frequent among women than men. In 1989, emergency room episodes resulting from Valium were 4.1 percent for females and 2.5 percent for males.
• Women are more susceptible to alcohol-related liver damage. They develop liver disease in a shorter period of time and at lower levels of consumption. The number of alcoholic women who develop alcohol-related liver disease is higher than among alcoholic men.
• Repeated or sustained episodes of alcohol intoxication may suppress hormonal activity in women. Studies suggest that there is a higher prevalence of menstrual dysfunction and accelerated onset of menopause among alcoholic women. Other problems such as obstetrical disorders and gynecological surgery are also more common.
• In 1990, 4 percent of women reported using marijuana during the past month while 6 percent of men did. This number is the same as a similar 1989 study which indicated that 4 percent of women had used marijuana in the past 30 days.
• Young women between the ages of 16 and 22 are more likely to smoke cigarettes than their male counterparts.
• Over 4.8 million (8 percent) of the 60.1 million women 15-44 years of age (the childbearing years), have used an illicit drug in the past month. Slightly over 500,000 (0.9) used cocaine and 3.9 million (6.5 percent) used marijuana in the past month.
• It is estimated that the number of women in the United States who drink has increased significantly over the last 40 years and that heavy drinking has increased among young, employed women. As many as 16 percent of these women may be consuming three to five drinks per day.
• More than 80 percent of cases of AIDS in women are associated with intravenous drug abuse. Under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, people help to spread AIDS by engaging in high risk sexual activity with people who are IV drug abusers or HIV carriers.
• It is estimated that the number of women in the United States who drink has increased significantly over the last 40 years and that heavy drinking has increased among young, employed women. As many as 16 percent of these women may be consuming three to five drinks per day.
• More than 80 percent of cases of AIDS in women are associated with intravenous drug abuse. Under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, people help to spread AIDS by engaging in high risk sexual activity with people who are IV drug abusers or HIV carriers.

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