Fatal Attraction
January 20, 2009
The latest research shows that women get hooked on legal and illegal drugs faster than men do – and they pay a higher price.
Its official: women get addicted to nicotine,jordan 13, alcohol, illicit drugs and prescription medicines quicker than men do and on smaller doses, and are more severely affected. That’s the finding of researchers at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (Casa) at Columbia University in New York in the biggest ever overview of female addiction,bugs bunny 8s for sale, Women Under The Influence (Johns Hopkins University Press),Doctor Ratings – Use Them To Find The Best Doctor.
Local addiction experts aren’t surprised. Alcohol and substance abuse is an increasing problem among young women,jordan 8 for sale. Biological differences in body size, fat-to-muscle ratio and hormones cause substances to affect women differently from men, and emotional differences draw women to substances down different pathways. Heart disease,jordan 8 for sale, strokes and cancer kill and cripple millions of women every year,jordan grape 5, and substance abuse is the leading preventable factor in all three.
The Price
On average, the life expectancy of a woman who smokes will be shortened by 15 years, while a man will lose 13, according to Casa,foamposites 2013. Lung cancer now kills more women than breast, uterine and ovarian cancers combined,grape 5s for sale, and cigarettes cause 80% of lung cancer in women,www.grape5sforsale.org. Smoking also raises the risk of pulmonary diseases (emphysema, chronic bronchitis), cervical and stomach cancers, ovarian cysts and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Smoking while on oral contraceptives increases the risk of heart attack by a staggering 1 000%,elief From Piles – How to Get a Good Nig,Foamposites.
Alcohol is also dangerous: women get drunk faster than men and more easily develop related diseases such as brain damage,Wondering What Foods to Eat to Lose Belly Fat-,Cheap Foamposites, liver disease and depression. Young women who have more than one drink a day are also five times more likely to have sex and a third less likely to use protection than those who don’t drink.
Slightly fewer women use illicit drugs than men,jordan retro 1, but women are nearly 50% more likely to be prescribed a narcotic, anti-anxiety or other potentially harmful medical drug – and nearly twice as likely to become addicted to them.
Genes
In women,nike free run 3 womens, genes account for about 66% of the risk for alcohol dependence,michael kors handbags, reports Casa,jordan 5 grape. But the family link may be less genetic than behavioral. Patterns of substance abuse may be learnt or copied.
Mind
According to Casa,www.zoomkobe8.org, low self-esteem doubles the risk for using these substances,grape 5s for sale, and women may be particularly prone,lebron 10 ps elite. Many also smoke and use drugs ‘to help them maintain an unhealthy low weight’, reports Casa,foamposites. Women are also more likely than men to respond to stress with substance use and because women are likelier to experience depression they are also more likely to turn to drugs.
Family
The poorer your relationship with your parents while growing up and the more difficult it is for you to communicate openly,Nike Foamposites, the greater your likelihood of trying drugs. A family that smokes or abuses alcohol or drugs also makes you more prone.
Peers
Young women are more inclined to drink and smoke to look cool and to rebel than young men are, reports Casa. And they’re also generally more susceptible to peer pressure,nike air max 2013, as they spend more time with friends.
The Media
Marketers continue to use images of attractive models and celebrities enjoying cigarettes and alcohol and exploit a desire for independence and sophistication by appealing to perennial female concerns about weight and appearance.