Alcohol-related deaths in women rising faster than among men, CDC says
The latest government data shows that the rate of alcohol-related deaths among women is rising at a faster rate than in men.
Two local sisters struggling to maintain their sobriety want other women to know that they're not alone.
"Vodka, straight out of the bottle. It got to that point. It got that bad, " said Lisa. Lisa and her sister did not want to share their last names.
Lisa and Melissa have used alcohol to cope with many problems, including marital strife.
"The divorce is what killed me. It literally destroyed me. So that's when I started drinking heavier and heavier," Melissa said.
Then, the money problems came.
"It just got us bogged down, and we couldn't handle it. We couldn't handle it," said Lisa.
And then there was the loneliness.
"She and I were together during the pandemic. And that's when we both started really drinking," Lisa said.
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Routine binge drinking brought both women to the brink of death.
"I was in the ICU for a week and a half just last month." said Melissa.
They're still fighting for sobriety, but the sisters wanted to come forward in the midst of their struggle, because they see so many other women caught in the same cycle.
"Most of the people coming into treatment have been women. Women with Alcohol," said Action Family Foundation founder Cary Quashen. He said what he sees in his treatment center reflects the two decades of CDC data that shows alcohol-related mortality among women is rising at a faster rate than in men.
Researchers say women can't metabolize alcohol as fast as men, so they are left with higher levels of toxins in their systems.
"Alcohol is definitely more lethal when it comes to women. Their bodies are different, their makeup is different. It affects all the body organs," said Quashen.
"I mean we were broken down.," said Lisa.
"We felt like we were dying," said Melissa.
For the first time, the data revealed women in their 30s and 40s drank more than their male counterparts. The highest alcohol-related death rates were among those in midlife, with deaths among women accounting for the biggest one-year jump between 2019-2020.
"Alcohol is a drug. It's a liquid drug. And it's a deadly one," said Quashen.
At his center, Quashen said he observed women appear to shoulder more guilt and shame than men when going through treatment. But he says the road to quitting for good begins the same for everyone. The first step is acknowledge you have a problem with alcohol.
"The second step is admitting you need help. And the third is getting it," he said.
Lisa and Melissa know they have a long road ahead of them, and they've vowed to help each other and whoever they can along the way.
"We want to let the women know who are drinking to get help because we're dropping. Women are dropping dead of alcoholism," said Lisa.
"Please get help. Because we don't want to see you die." said Melissa.
