NCJ Number
161664
Date Published
1995
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This paper provides an overview of the abuse of alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes by women in Poland.
Abstract
There has been an increase in alcoholic beverage consumption in Poland and other European countries since the Second World War, particularly between the 1960's and 1980's; consumption doubled during that period. During this period, more women than men changed their consumption of alcohol to vodka. Overall, women's drinking pattern became similar to that of men, as the average consumption of alcohol by women increased fivefold, while it increased among men by approximately 70 percent. Women consumed 25 percent of alcoholic beverages in 1980. According to data provided by the Cancer Department, 50.1 percent of men and 22 percent of women smoked cigarettes every day, which means that approximately 10 million Polish people were dependent on nicotine. An average male smoker smoked 19 cigarettes daily, and a female smoker smoked 15 cigarettes. Regular female smokers were 27 percent in town and 11.7 percent in rural areas. Regarding drug use, opiate dependence is the most prevalent type of dependence in Poland, both among women and men. Women use sedatives four times more often than men. 7 tables and 33 references