Drinking Facts
Risky Or Dangerous Drinking? What Exactly Is That?
Smart women often drink to get a “buzz” to help them relax and feel more sociable.
But when a woman drinks too much, she can get into trouble.
When alcohol impairs a woman’s judgment, memory, and balance, she’s more vulnerable to a wide range of dangers. This level of drinking can be considered “risky” or “dangerous drinking”.
Alcohol And The Brain
Recent research tells us that alcohol can produce impairments after only a few drinks. As the amount of alcohol increases in the bloodstream, so does the degree of impairment.
Blackouts
Drinking large quantities of alcohol can produce a blackout, an interval of time in which an intoxicated person cannot recall details or entire events.
- This is especially true when drinking on empty stomach.
- This is especially dangerous if a person engages in risky activities such as driving, unprotected sex, or even walking home alone when intoxicated.
Risk taking
Drinking reduces inhibitions. A woman may be more open to other’s suggestions.
There’s the possibility of being taken advantage of sexually, or doing dangerous or embarrassing things to amuse others.
Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 2004. Alcohol’s damaging effects on the brain. Alcohol Alert. No. 63.
Coordination and balance
Research shows that people with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .03 or higher lack coordination and balance.
For example, if a 140-pound woman drinks 3 beers in 2 hours, she will have a BAC of .03. She is impaired at this BAC level and is at risk for injuries and falls.
Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 1989. Alcohol and trauma. Alcohol Alert. No. 3.
Alcohol poisoning
Call 9-1-1 if someone who has been drinking or combining the use of alcohol and other drugs shows one or more of the following danger signs. Act quickly. Alcohol poisoning can be fatal.
Signs of alcohol poisoning include:
- Unconsciousness. The person is hard to rouse and can’t be made aware of his or her surroundings. This can be brief, such as with fainting or blacking out. It can put a person into a coma.
- No breathing or slow and shallow breathing. The person takes 10 or fewer breaths per minute or experiences lapses of more than 8 seconds between breaths.
- Slow pulse rate (40 or fewer beats per minute)
- Skin that is cold, clammy, and/or pale or blue in color
Stay with the person until emergency care arrives:
- Place the person on his or her side with the knees bent, to prevent choking, if he or she vomits.
- Loosen the person’s clothing around the neck and check the mouth and back of the throat to see that nothing obstructs the person’s breathing.
Alcohol poisoning most often occurs as a result of drinking too many alcoholic beverages over a short period of time. For women, drinking three or more drinks in a 2-hour period is a common cause of alcohol poisoning.
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Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ |
To learn more about the specific effects by the number of drinks consumed in a 2- hour period, check out the University of Minnesota self care website at http://www.bhs.umn.edu/selfcare/alcohol.htm.
More About Dangerous Drinking
A woman may only drink occasionally, but when she does, she may drink a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time.
It’s likely she will experience some unpleasant, or even serious problems in her life due to drinking.
This is a relatively common experience for college women. Women may experience several problems when they drink too much:
- Doing or saying something under the influence that she never would have said or done otherwise
- Having an unintended pregnancy
- Getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
- Having unwanted sex or being raped while under the influence of alcohol
- Having an alcohol exposed pregnancy
- Not doing as well in school or at work as she would like
- Having relationship problems with family, friends, or partners
- Being too hung over in the morning to go about her usual business or feeling lousy all day when she does
- Getting a traffic ticket for driving while intoxicated DWI
- Spending too much money on alcohol
- Feeling anxious, uneasy, or guilty after drinking
To learn more about women and dangerous drinking, download the PDF files:
When Women Drink Too Much: Drinking and Sex, A Dangerous Brew (PDF: 97KB/5 pages)
Experts have determined that women who drink more than 3 drinks in a 2-hour period (even occasionally) or more than 7 drinks per week are more likely to experience serious problems with relationships, school, work, personal safety, health, money and the law.
Sources: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol: A Women's Health Issue. Online: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochurewomen/women.htm.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (1990) Alcohol use and abuse: Where do the numbers come from? Alcohol Alert. No. 7.
The Good News About Dangerous Drinking
Smart women may be unaware that they are drinking too much or too often.
They may be drinking with a partner or friends, matching the drinking pace of their companions and losing track of the number of drinks consumed.
They may not notice their drinking is an issue until they experience a regrettable event or trouble with their relationships, work or school performance.
Once women become aware of the problem, they can draw on their many strengths and resources to make a change on their own, perhaps with a bit of help.
When women realize their drinking may be interfering with their life, they may decide they prefer to reduce rather than stop drinking.
The Smart Women Smart Choices program can help a woman make the change.
