NBC Nightly News (1/8, story 8, 2:05, Williams) broadcast that the CDC warns that binge drinking “is a big problem especially and acutely for women.” It is responsible for the death of 23,000 women and girls each year. The CDC study claims the excessive drinking is “becoming dangerous and is often overlooked as a health problem for women, who respond to alcohol differently than men.” Dr. Aaron White of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism said the differences include women “being more susceptible to the effects of alcohol and the risk of cancer,” liver problems, and brain damage. A survey of over 278,000 women 18 years of age or older found that “nearly 14 million women binge drink about 3 times a month.” 1 in 5 high school girls also report binge drinking.
USA Today (1/8, Payne) reports the CDC study “found that binge drinking was most common among women ages 18-34 and high school girls. It also was most prevalent among women living in households with annual incomes of $75,000 or higher.” David Jernigan, director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said “it is crucial that the problem is highlighted” because girls are transitioning from beer to spirits. CDC Director Thomas Frieden said that in order to curb binge drinking, “effective community measures can support women and girls in making wise choices about whether to drink or how much to drink if they do.”
Related Links:
— “CDC: Binge drinking is serious problem for girls, women, “Cathy Payne, USA Today, January 8, 2013.