Young women are now binge drinking more than young men, according to a new study in JAMA. Binge drinking for a typical adult is defined as consuming four or more drinks for women (five for men) within two hours. Researchers found that between 2021 and 2023, more women ages 18-25 reported binge drinking in the last month compared to men in their age group, a reversal of higher binge drinking rates among men from 2017–2019. A separate study found that women in their 30s and 40s reported higher rates of binge drinking and alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms than their female cohorts did two decades ago.

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In honor of National Women’s Health Week, social workers can discuss unique health risks from alcohol with clients. In these conversations, it’s important to share that there is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy. There is also no safe time during pregnancy to drink. All types of alcohol can be harmful, including wine, beer, and liquor. If a client who is pregnant is using alcohol, the safest thing to do is to stop drinking. Every day matters. 
 

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This Alcohol Awareness Month, social workers can dispel common myths about drinking, including the belief that there is a safe time, amount, or amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant. For a healthy pregnancy, avoiding alcohol and other substances is the safest thing to do. And if a client is drinking while pregnant, every day counts. The sooner the drinking stops, the better for the baby.

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January is Birth Defects Awareness Month, a call to action for social workers to share a key message: for a healthy pregnancy, it is safest to avoid alcohol, smoking, and other recreational drugs. 

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This Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Month, social workers can deepen their understanding of FASDs and how to prevent them. A key tool in FASD prevention is universal alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT), an evidence-based, highly effective modality for evoking a client’s motivation to address risky substance use. 

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Do you have eight minutes to help your fellow social workers? We want to know your thoughts on discussing COVID-19 vaccines with clients, and your experience with NASW’s Connect to End COVID-19 initiative.

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