Women, Alcohol and Drunk Driving

There are many reasons why women drink alcohol.  For some, the consumption of alcohol begins at an early age.  Perhaps, as children, they witnessed one or both of their parents, siblings or other family members drinking alcohol.  For countless other women, drinking is seen more as a rite of passage.  For instance, when you turn 21 years of age in the United States, it is almost customary (and somewhat expected) that you will potentially become impaired after consuming large quantities of alcohol and/or liquor. But still, for other women, drinking alcohol stems from something much more serious. Perhaps a woman is suffering from depression or is struggling with the stress that can sometimes come from working too much, career, family or otherwise.

Drunk Driving: No Stranger to Women

When we hear about drunk drivers, many of us conjure a picture of a young man behind the wheel of a vehicle.  Seldom, do we think of a woman behaving so irresponsibly, which is perhaps why it is all the more shocking to hear about women who have been caught driving drunk.

In a recent article that was published by TimesUnion, Albany County Sheriff, Jim Campbell was somewhat shocked when he stopped a drunk driver and discovered that not only was it a woman, but that she also had two children in the car at the time.  The woman, 48 year-old Robin Ann Greene, ended up being charged with driving while intoxicated and endangering the welfare of a child, both misdemeanors. Her blood alcohol content (BAC): 0.11 percent.  All of this comes in the wake of the horrific Taconic State Parkway crash in which a mother was both drunk and high while driving down the wrong side of the road, killing herself and her children.

According to an article published by CBS, driving drunk is no longer a male-only problem.  In fact, according to federal government statistics, in more than half the country, the number of women arrested for driving under the influence rose nearly 29 percent between 1998 and 2007.  Two possibilities for the sudden increase in drunk driving among women include binge drinking as well as general stress levels of women increasing due to increased responsibilities within their family and workplace. But is it an excuse?

For more information about drug and alcohol rehab for women, contact The Mark Houston Recovery Center for Women today at 877.383.4426.