Every woman is different. No amount of drinking is 100 percent safe, 100 percent of the

time, for every individual woman.1

 —National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

WOMEN AND INTOXICATION

Alcohol affects women differently than men due to their body makeup and chemistry:

• A woman’s body has more fat and less water than a man’s. When a woman drinks,

 the alcohol is less diluted. It becomes more highly concentrated in her blood.2

• Women process less alcohol in the stomach than men.

That leaves more alcohol to reach the bloodstream. The

higher concentration and amount of alcohol in the blood

cause women to become intoxicated faster than men.

• Women may become more easily intoxicated during

their menstrual cycle.3

HEALTH RISKS AMONG WOMEN WHO DRINK

Women who drink heavily face greater health risks than

men who drink heavily. They are more prone to liver

disease, heart damage,4 and brain damage.5 Studies show

that women with alcoholism are up to twice as likely as

men to die from alcohol-related causes such as suicide,

accidents, and illnesses.1

Alcohol can cause other problems for women. Chronic

heavy drinking can lead to menstrual problems, infertility,

and early menopause. Drinking during adolescence can

interfere with puberty, growth, and bone health.6 Heavy

drinking can make a woman more vulnerable to violence,

including sexual assault.1 Women who drink are also more

likely to have unprotected sex and contract a sexually

transmitted disease.

ALCOHOL, PREGNANCY, AND NURSING

Alcohol is a teratogen, a substance that can harm a fetus.

When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol crosses

the placental barrier and enters the bloodstream of the

fetus. The alcohol content in the blood of the fetus then

equals or exceeds that of the mother.

Pregnant women and women planning to get pregnant

should not drink. Pregnant women who are drinking should

stop at once to reduce the risk of harming their fetus. Alcohol

can harm a fetus at any time, even before a woman knows

she’s pregnant.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

defines binge drinking for women as drinking 4 or more

drinks in about 2 hours. Binge drinking is harmful for

anyone, but it can be especially harmful to the health of a

pregnant woman and her baby.7 Currently, 1 in 25 pregnant

women engages in binge drinking.8

Women who are nursing also should not drink. Alcohol

can pass through breast milk to the baby. No amount of

alcohol is safe during pregnancy or nursing.

FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS

“Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders” (FASD) is an umbrella

term describing the range of effects that can occur in an

individual who was prenatally exposed to alcohol. These

effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or

learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications.

The term FASD is not intended for use as a clinical

diagnosis. It includes conditions such as fetal alcohol

syndrome (FAS), alcohol-related neurodevelopmental

disorder (ARND), and alcohol-related birth defects

(ARBD). Each year, at least 40,000 babies are born with

an FASD,9 costing the Nation up to $6 billion.10

MODERATE DRINKING

Women who choose to drink should do so in moderation.

That means no more than one drink per day. Drinking

more than that can harm a woman’s health.13

A standard drink equals:

• 12 ounces of beer

EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON WOMEN

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

In the United States:

• 2 in 5 women drink alcohol.8

• 4 million women are heavy drinkers.1

• 2.5 million women are alcohol-dependent.11

• 1 in 10 pregnant women drinks alcohol.12
• 5 ounces of wine

• 1.5 ounces of liquor

Standard drinks also include wine coolers, aperitifs, and

fortified wines.

Women should not drink any alcohol if they:

• Cannot control their drinking

• Have a history of drug problems

• Take certain medications

• Plan to drive or use machinery

• Are pregnant or plan to get pregnant

Women should carefully consider the risks when deciding

whether or not to drink and how much. Some women share

alcohol with their spouse or partner and drink the same

amount. This is a problem because alcohol affects women in

more harmful ways than it affects men.

CONCLUSION

There are a lot of reasons women should control their drinking.

Protecting their children from FASD is at the top of the list. For

many women, it’s difficult to do alone. Help is available. With

appropriate prevention, treatment, and other support services,

a woman can have an opportunity for a fulfilling life that

includes a healthy pregnancy, healthy children, a job, a home,

and meaningful relationships with family and friends.

RESOURCES

For more information on alcohol and women, see

these resources:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA). Substance Abuse

Treatment Facility Locator, findtreatment.samhsa.gov,

and Toll-Free Referral Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-

662-4357).

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

(NIAAA). Alcohol: A Women’s Health Issue (video); 301-

496-8176.

• National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information,

800-729-6686, ncadi.samhsa.gov.

• www.stopalcoholabuse.gov.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Questions and Answers on Alcohol Consumption,

www.cdc.gov/alcohol/faqs.htm.

• Alcoholics Anonymous, www.aa.org, 212-870-3400.

REFERENCES

1. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 2003. Alcohol:

A Women’s Health Issue. NIH Publication No. 03-4956. Rockville, MD:

National Institutes of Health. pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/

brochurewomen/women.htm

2. Frezza, M.; DiPadova, C.; Pozzato, et al. 1990. High blood alcohol levels

in women: The role of decreased gastric alcohol dehydrogenase and

first-pass metabolism. New England Journal of Medicine 322(2):95-99.

3. Sutker, P.B.; Goist, K.C., Jr.; and King, A.R. 1987. Acute alcohol

intoxication in women: Relationship to dose and menstrual cycle

phase. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 11(1):74-79.

4. Urbano-Márquez, A.; Estruch, R.; Fernández-Solá, J.; et al. 1995. The

greater risk of alcoholic cardiomyopathy and myopathy in women

compared with men. JAMA 274(2):149-154.

5. Mann, K.; Ackermann, K.; Croissant, B.; et al. 2005. Neuroimaging of

gender differences in alcohol dependence: Are women more vulnerable?

Alcoholism: Clinical and Epidemiological Research 29(5): 896-901.

6. Emanuele, M.; Wezeman, F.; and Emanuele, N.V. 2002. Alcohol’s effects

on female reproductive function. Alcohol Research & Health 26(4):274-

281. pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-4/274-281.htm

7. Maier, S.E., and West. J.R. 2001. Drinking patterns and alcohol-related

birth defects. Alcohol Research & Health 25(3):168-174.

pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-3/168-174.htm

8. Office of Applied Studies. 2004. Results From the 2003 National Survey

on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. NSDUH Series H-24, DHHS

Publication No. SMA 04-3963. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration. oas.samhsa.gov/nhsda.htm

9. May, P.A., and Gossage, J.P. 2001. Estimating the prevalence of fetal

alcohol syndrome: A summary. Alcohol Research & Health 25(3):159-

167. pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-3/159-167.htm

10. Lupton, C.; Burd, L.; and Harwood R. 2004. Cost of fetal alcohol

spectrum disorders. American Journal of Medical Genetics 127C:42-50.

11.Grant, B.F.; Dawson, D.A.; Stinson, F.S.; et al. 2004. The 12-month

prevalence and trends in DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence:

United States, 1991-1992 and 2001-2002. Drug and Alcohol Dependence

74:223-234.

12.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2004. Alcohol consumption

among women who are pregnant or who might become pregnant—

United States, 2002. MMWR 53(50):1178-1181.

www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5350a4.htm

13.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department

of Agriculture. 2005. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. HHS

Publication number HHS-ODPHP-2005-01-DGA-A. USDA Pub. No.

Home and Garden Bulletin No. 232. Washington, DC: Government

Printing Office.

Pregnancy is Sacred

For more information, visit fasdcenter.samhsa.gov or call 866-STOPFAS.

www.stopalcoholabuse.gov

DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 07–4264

Printed 2007