The decrease in use of tobacco products has been accompanied by an increase in other forms of nicotine administration. For example, electronic cigarette use is now more prevalent among adolescents than tobacco use. According to Monitoring the Future Study in 2016, 9.1% of 12th grade girls reported past-month electronic cigarette use, a rate significantly lower than boys of the same age (16.1%) (Johnston, O’Malley, Miech, Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2017). Approximately 20% of men have alcohol rehab an alcohol use disorder (AUD) compared to between 7% and 12% of women.
Trauma
As a result, men are also more likely than women to be taken to the emergency department due to drug use or be a victim of a fatal overdose. 1 Illegal substances are anything illicit by federal law, including marijuana and the improper use of prescription drugs. If you are looking for treatment for your son, nephew, grandson or another man in your life, consider programming that addresses effective communication training, sexual identity issues and skills for managing difficult emotions. Also look for mental health services that address sexual issues, PTSD and anger management. Just like with women, all-male group therapy has proven to be highly effective, and structured activities with other men can provide necessary peer support.
Social and Cultural Factors That Impact Addiction
Despite parallel rates of addiction in some areas, men and women differ in how and when they seek help. It is important to explore prevalence data and usage trends by gender, as they help define where prevention and intervention efforts are most urgently needed. Get professional help from an online addiction and mental health counselor from BetterHelp. The information contained on this website is not intended to be a substitute for, or to be relied upon as, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Is it easy to get away from any addiction?
In the United States, problem gambling is recognized as a growing public health concern (Jacobs 1989; Shaffer et al. 1999). In the last decade, problem gambling has almost doubled with rates around 5 % of the population. Gambling opportunities also have rapidly increased, especially for emerging adults, 18–21 years old. In 2001, the rates of problem gambling were the highest amongst these young adults, with 7 % of college students meeting the criteria for problem gambling (Shaffer and Hall 2001). The transitional phase from ages of 18 to 25 years constitutes a separate period of the life course known as emerging adulthood (Arnett 2005).
Women are less likely to receive the treatment needed to heal from substance use disorder. However, medical professionals confirm addiction treatment is as effective in women as in men. Regardless of age or race, men use alcohol and drugs more frequently and in greater quantities than do women. For many young men, male institutions and social rites of passage, such as sports and fraternities, encourage the use of alcohol. Binge drinking is also more prevalent in men and is more likely to result in alcohol-related problems. En are therefore five times more likely than women to develop a substance use disorder.
Impacts of Substance Abuse
Research from theNational Institute on Drug Abuse(NIDA) suggests that more males use drugs at an earlier age not because they are more susceptible to substance abuse, but because they have more opportunities. Teenage males are more likely to be exposed to drugs through their peer group than teenage girls, who are often introduced to drugs by boys. A study sponsored by NIDA shows that after being initiated into drug use, males and females are equally likely to continue using. It is important to consider the unique factors that might influence alcohol use among women, and the unique direct and secondhand health effects that alcohol poses for women, when developing prevention strategies to address alcohol use and related harms.
Furthermore, women develop a dependence on opioids faster than men due to a heightened dopamine response in the brain. In 2016, 27 men died per day from prescription opioid overdose, compared to 19 women per day. Conversely, the rate of opioid-related deaths among women climbed 596% between 1999 and 2016 (deaths among men increased 312%). The nonmedical use of prescription drugs — including painkillers, tranquilizers, and sedatives — is a growing problem in the United States.
- It shows that men are 2.2 times likelier than women to abuse drugs and 1.9 times more likely to develop a drug dependence.
- Historically, male college students were more likely to drink and did so more heavily than female college students, and college students drank far more than their peers not enrolled in college.
- The 2013National Survey on Drug Use and Healthindicated that close to 12 percent of American males age 12 and older were currently using illegal drugs, compared with just over 7.3 percent of females in the same age group.
- In a broader sense, addressing gender differences in substance abuse contributes to public health more effectively, ensuring that both men and women can access care without fear of judgment or lack of resources.
- Nevertheless, population-based and treatment admission data suggest that many women with SUDs do not receive treatment.
Substance Use Disorder Higher in Men
Male high school students who use cannabis appear to have more problems, such as family-related disputes difference between drugs and alcohol and school-related issues, than females, suggesting that other factors may be at play regarding the use of cannabis products in males and females. Research suggests that women are more susceptible to the detrimental health effects of alcohol abuse than men, even if the woman has been using less alcohol or abusing alcohol for a shorter period of time. Both men and women should have access to screenings for sexually transmitted diseases, as addiction often leads to risky behaviors that increase the risk of contracting one.
#2: Men and Women Abuse Prescription Opioids at the Same Rate
These risk factors contribute to a rate of substance dependence in men that is twice that of women; men are also more likely to experience an opioid overdose. In fact, of the 47,600 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2017, two-thirds were among men. In 2015, 7.9% of women and 12.5% of men ages 12 and older reported past-month illicit drug use; corresponding rates of illicit drug use disorders were 2% and 3.8%. However, 8.8% of adolescents (i.e., ages 12–17) of both genders reported past-month illicit drug use (CBHSQ, 2016). This gender parity among adolescents appears to be driven by prescription drug misuse, with adolescent girls reporting higher rates of past-month use than boys (2.3% of girls vs. 1.7% of boys) (CBHSQ, 2016). Among adults, prescription drugs are among the only substance class for which past-month prevalence of misuse is similar in adults of both genders (2.2% of women vs. 2.7% of men).
- After drinking the same amount of alcohol, women tend to have higher blood alcohol concentrations than men, making them more susceptible to the effects of alcohol abuse.
- Having these shared experiences can help build trust and remove some of the fear of judgment that stops people from fully engaging.
Recovery Programs
Men in recovery appear to have longer average periods of abstinence than women do as a group, but substance use disorder treatment is effective for males and females equally. Prevalence rates regarding drug use and misuse for 2017 come from the data provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). When available, the rates regarding gender differences in the diagnosis of substance use disorders come from the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fifth Edition.