Women and alcohol: Stemming the tide of risky drinking

Award-winning journalist Ann Dowsett Johnston returns to Kingston to launch her new book: Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol at this year’s Kingston WritersFest.  

“Drink” chronicles the rise in risky drinking among women, as well as Ann’s personal story.  In a Toronto Star piece written to coincide with her book launch Ann describes her days in rehab:

 

“I am doing battle. I am battling for consciousness. I want to go to bed sober. I want to remember my dreams. I want to know myself without alcohol.”
 

Women are fast approaching the consumption patterns of men and the alcohol industry is marketing to women like never before.  While many people may say “so what?”, the rising trend in risky drinking among women has those of us working in public health wondering how we can stem the tide.
 

One for the Road

When:  Saturday, September 28, 2013 / 4:30–5:30 pm
Where: Bellevue South, Holiday Inn Kingston
Cost: General admission: $13.50 online /$17.00 onsite

 

Being myself – living and feeling and experiencing life



This post by Brenda Slomka, Manager, Residence Life, St. Lawrence College, Kingston

Before I go any further I should disclose that I’m writing this blog because I want to, not because I have to. I should also share that I work in Student Affairs, more specifically Residence and have done this work for a “couple of years”.  I do this work because I love contributing to developing community and because I love working with young adults.  I should clearly state that in all of my work within post-secondary institutions I never say that drinking is wrong. Lastly I should let you know that some life values that I hold close to me as well as time at my alma mater, the University of Waterloo will largely influence comments that I make in this post.

A couple of years ago on this date (okay so maybe it was more than a couple of years ago), I turned 19, and it just so happened that my birthday fell on what was one of the main orientation events at university.  While alcohol was available at orientation events if you were 19 years of age and had your ID, it wasn’t available at all events, just some.  I was blessed to study at a school that had balanced conversations/events around alcohol. 

As it turned out, I didn’t have my first drink of alcohol until April of that school year. One of the reasons was money.  While mom and dad helped me with some tuition over first year, I was paying for my education myself.  Another reason was that I loved going out with friends knowing that I’d be safe - that my drinks wouldn’t be drugged, and that I didn’t have to worry about drinking and driving.  Mostly it was about living and feeling and experiencing all that I could. 

All of this was, I think a good foundation for when my residence friends and I were out and they offered to buy me a drink.   I was simply able to say “I’m not drinking tonight” as we danced the night away at Fed Hall.

I’m reminded of another birthday I celebrated.  I was with a bunch of people standing outside.  We were observing students walking home from the pub.  I remember someone made a comment about "everyone has to get it out of their system" and then someone else turned and looked at me saying "not everyone".  I smiled but also found myself reflecting on the many conversations I’ve had in the campus pub and other fine establishments.  Conversations that when you really get down to it are not about why doesn't Brenda get drunk, or why haven't you smoked pot but about who I am and how I live my life.
This post isn't about right and wrong.
It isn't about justification.
It isn't even about making a case for myself.

It is for me -if you will - almost like giving myself permission to be myself and to celebrate the woman I am.  It is an opportunity for me to consider that I have not missed out on much, living life the way I have.  It is an opportunity for me to celebrate and relish the confidence I have in who I am and who I am becoming.

And it is a hope that it will maybe encourage you to consider the choices that you are making around alcohol.  It’s my hope that maybe you’ll give pause to when you choose to consume alcohol and that it may just remind you that there are many of us who have done just fine without it.

So let me leave you with this quote from Tuesdays with Morrie, where author Mitch Albom summarizes a conversation he has with his old professor:

"...so many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning".

Here’s to a great year of contribution, community and purpose.

Is it really just all about me?

When you think about drinking alcohol, knowing your limit and staying in control should be top of mind.  Unfortunately for many, drinking to get drunk is the goal.  When looking at alcohol use and harm, it isn’t only the individual who is drinking that pays the price.  Too often the people around them, whether friends, family or innocent bystanders, bear the brunt of their overindulgence.  

Like smoking, there are second hand effects to drinking alcohol.  The Centre for Addictions Research of BC discusses this in a recent blog post entitled Harm to others: Is alcohol just a private matter?  They ask the question: “Would social norms around alcohol use change significantly if we started taking harms to others more seriously?” Something to think about. Check it out and let us know what you think.

The 9th Day of the 9th Month at 9:09 am

Every Sept 9^th Fetal Alcohol Awareness Day is observed to acknowledge Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) which is the leading known cause of preventable developmental disability among Canadians.

People from all around the world gather for events at this time, to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking alcohol during the 9 months of pregnancy.   They gather in various communities, countries and continents to bring attention to the significant dangers of alcohol use in pregnancy, with the hopes that increasing awareness will help prevent this serious disease.  They host educational events, conferences, workshops and breakfasts.   They hold media events, put up displays and posters, provide pamphlets and advertisements, and then at 9:09am all over the world they ring bells.   The ringing of the bells is known as the “FAS Bell Concordance” and is a symbol of a “magic minute “.  Bell ringing was chosen as a symbol of warning, as bells are historically associated with warnings and alarms.

The Kingston FASD Action Network, established in 2002, holds an annual breakfast on International FASD day including a guest speaker and the bell concordance.   The Kingston FASD Action Network states that until the last baby is born with FASD they will continue observing International FASD Day.  For more information on the Kingston FASD Action Network or the FASD Breakfast to be held on Monday September 9^th 2013 please contact:  fasdactionnet@gmail.ca.  

If you would like to learn more about the risks of alcohol use in pregnancy or are looking to help someone close to you, call:                                                                                                                  

Motherisk Alcohol and Substance Use Helpline at 1 877-327-4636.

Drunk History

Last month the web series “Drunk History” was launched as a new television series by Comedy Central.  This weekly, half-hour series features historical re-enactments that are narrated by drunk storytellers who struggle to tell the story. “Drunk History” is just one example of a recent, more overt trend in television drinking.  

“Drunk History” fans rave that the show is hilarious, and all in good fun. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a good laugh?  Unfortunately the normalization of heavy drinking in pop culture, whether on television, in movies, videos, or in popular song lyrics, is prevalent in today’s society.  This has created social and cultural norms that influence how much people drink, how they drink, and levels of alcohol-related harm. Too often those that are impacted the most by the normalization of heavy drinking are children, youth, and young adults.

In a study of young adult males, alcohol portrayal on television was shown to affect actual drinking behaviour, and a recent report on alcohol portrayal in the movies found youth who watched a lot of movies that featured alcohol were twice as likely to start drinking compared to their peers. So what’s the answer?  As a starting point we need to acknowledge that the normalization of heavy drinking in popular media plays a significant role in the culture of alcohol in society, on consumption patterns, and the level of alcohol-related harm that follows.  Only then will we be able to start changing the current culture and perhaps in doing so, re-write our own history.