The acute rise in the number of women passing away due to the involvement of drug use has been absolutely astonishing over the past few years, and the statement that drugs cause women more harm is indeed true.
Surge in Drug Deaths Among Women: Exploring the Reasons
The number of women dying from drug abuse has doubled over the past 10 years. In comparison, for men, this number lies just under 50 percent. In Scotland however, the situation is even more precarious, as more than 4 times as many women die every year due to drug abuse, whilst for men this number has also risen but in a significantly slower tempo.
What makes these numbers even more difficult to comprehend, is the fact that more men use drugs than women, but much more women are dying due to drug intake. Could this be a physiological issue because of the biological difference between men and women, or is this a societal issue that causes women to abuse drugs more intensely?
It is a combination of both. More than 10 percent of men of adult age have been in contact with drugs at some point during their lives, while for women this number is less than half of men. Researchers have claimed that women are much more susceptible to stronger effects from drugs and alcohol. According to research carried out in 1996, men tend to go from first use of a drug, to developed psychological and physical issues much slower than women. The example cited was liver cirrhosis via alcohol abuse, which starts a lot earlier in women than men.
Societal issues are also to blame for the staggering number of deaths of female drug users. There are twice as many male drug users as women, but three times as many men in rehabilitation clinics as women, which means that relatively, women seek less treatment for drug issues then men. This could point to the fact that the needs of women are not being met in regard to female-friendly drug rehab centres. Add to that, a disproportionate number of women in need of treatment for drug addiction, have been sexually or physically abused. Often, there are comorbid mental disorders and trauma’s which could be the cause for a serious drug and/or alcohol issues.
Are you a woman who has been suffering from alcohol or drugs addiction? Contact Action Rehab today for advice on the best possible solution for you.
Posted on Saturday, October 14th, 2017 at 8:53 pm in Latest News.
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