Over the years, the Betty Ford Center has become recognized as an international leader in the field of alcoholism and other drug dependencies. Alcoholism and other drug dependencies are a chronic, progressive disease that, if not treated, will be fatal.
Alcohol used by pregnant women is the leading known cause of mental retardation in newborns.
Women's drinking and drug problems are often viewed as less serious than men's, making proper diagnosis, and early intervention and treatment more difficult. Women frequently use other drugs in combination with alcohol, placing them at a higher risk for physical and psychological impairment. Even with less alcohol consumption, women are more likely to develop liver disease than men and women have a greater risk of dying once the liver has been injured. Physicians prescribe two thirds of all legal psychoactive drugs to women and more than one million women are dependent on those drugs.