Women Deserve the Truth About Alcohol: Why Aren’t We Talking About This?
I shook my head in complete astonishment as my guest speaker shared fact after fact about women and alcohol. Despite having been alcohol-free for over five years and fully immersed in the sober living space, I was still taken aback by the statistics, research, and insights I had never encountered before.
As we wrapped up the interview, I looked at Ann Dowsett-Johnson - author, medical journalist, and speaker - and asked, “But why don’t women know all of this? How can we live in a world that isn’t shouting this from the rooftops but instead promotes alcohol as the answer to all our problems? Don’t women deserve the truth?”
My Wake-Up Call About Alcohol and Women’s Health
After ending what I described as a ‘dysfunctional relationship with alcohol’ in 2019, I became obsessed with learning more about how my beloved wine had impacted my health.
I became curious about:
Why I felt intense anxiety the day after drinking, hiding at the school gate under my cap, praying no one would start a conversation.
Why I often woke at 3am, tossing and turning after just a couple of wines with dinner.
Why my naturopath told me in 2018, “Sarah, your estrogen is so high it’s off the chart. You need to take a break from booze,” yet never explained the link between alcohol, estrogen dominance, liver detox pathways, and the increased risk of breast cancer.
A few years later, I finally connected the dots.
The Shocking Health Risks Women Face
Even now, after retraining as a Grey Area Drinking Coach and coaching thousands of women, I continue to learn new information about alcohol’s effects on women.
Here’s what I’ve discovered:
Women and men are both vulnerable to alcohol-related strokes, but it happens four times faster in women.
Alcohol-related heart disease also progresses faster in women.
Women become addicted to alcohol faster than men.
And when it comes to breast cancer, the statistics are sobering:
An analysis of 20 studies found that drinking alcohol increased the risk of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer by 35% and estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer by 28%.
Yet a study from a Melbourne university revealed that 80% of Australian women are unaware of the link between alcohol and breast cancer.
Why Aren’t We Talking About This?
The simple fact is that women are more vulnerable to alcohol’s effects, and the health risks are greater. But instead of warnings, we are bombarded with pink drinks, bottomless brunches, and even breast cancer fundraisers sponsored by alcohol brands.
This is especially concerning when studies show that the only demographic where alcohol consumption is rising is midlife women - the exact group most at risk for alcohol-related health issues.
Women Deserve Informed Choices
To be clear, I’m not advocating for prohibition, nor do I judge women who drink - many of my closest friends still do. My mission is simply to ensure that women have all the facts so they can make informed decisions about their health and alcohol consumption.
I believe we are on the cusp of a major shift in how women’s health is understood and discussed. With growing awareness around menopause and the realization that women are not just “small men” but have complex hormonal profiles, the medical world is starting to catch up.
As the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) points out, before 1993, women were rarely included in clinical trials. Even today, we still don’t fully understand how many drugs and treatments affect women differently than men.
The Power and Influence of Big Alcohol
But we are up against a powerful force. Big Alcohol has identified female drinkers as a major market and invests billions in advertising to convince us that we “deserve” a drink after a hard day.
Having supported thousands of women through my book Beyond Booze and my coaching programs, I remain committed to advocating for:
More education and awareness about alcohol’s effects on women.
More honest and upfront labelling on alcoholic drinks.
Let’s Make Sure Women Know the Full Story
We all have the right to make our own choices. But let’s ensure those choices are based on all the facts, not just the messages Big Alcohol wants us to hear.