We continue our series on women and addiction recovery and visit two local community services board to hear about how they serve women. Henrico County Mental Health and Richmond Behavioral Health Authority speak at the Symposium on International Perspectives on Women and Addiction.

Gender Differences & Drug Addiction

Compared with men, women:
► Initiate alcohol/other substance use at an
earlier age than in previous generations, and
at approximately the same age as men.
► Show increased prevalence in past two
decades of alcohol and drug use with lower
levels of abstaining and higher levels of use
disorders.
► At treatment entry, with fewer years of use,
exhibit more medical, psychiatric, and
adverse social consequences. (Compton et al, 2007; Grucza et al, 2008; Randall et al., 1999; Hernandez-Avila et

RBHA: 804-819-4000

Henrico:(804) 727-8920