Alcoholism is the third leading cause of death for women between the ages of 35 and 55 years of age. According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, two to five percent of American women abuse alcohol five or more drinks per occasion on five or more days in the past month. When women drink, they get sicker sooner and die faster. There are biological and genetic factors that can lead to alcohol abuse. If a parent or sibling is alcoholic, a woman is four times more likely to be at risk.
Genes affect alcohol metabolism as well as pleasure thresholds.
In other words, there may be a gene that doesn t allow you to get pleasure easily, and you have to go further and try harder, and drink more in order to get pleasure. Environmental factors also increase our proclivity to drink. One in four women still consume alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol exposure is fastest and worst on a baby s brain development early in pregnancy. Also, two or more drinks a day will increase the risk of miscarriage, low birth-rate, mortality, and fetal alcohol syndrome.