This document summarizes a presentation on women and driving under the influence (DUI). It discusses how women's alcohol and substance use differs from men's, including higher health risks for women from drinking. Barriers that prevent women from participating in DUI programs are outlined, such as childcare responsibilities and stigma. The presentation aims to help DUI programs understand gender differences and identify ways to engage and motivate female participants.

1. California Association of Drinker Driver Treatment Programs
2007 Fall Forum
Women and DUI
Deborah Werner
Children and Family Futures, Inc.
4940 Irvine Boulevard, Suite 202 * Irvine, CA 92620
714/505.3525 * dwerner@cffutures.org
www.cffutures.org/calwcf
This Presentation is Made Possible Through a Contract with the
State of California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs
Goals
To help DUI program staff understand
differences between male and female
participants
To help DUI programs identify ways to reach
and motivate women DUI offenders in order
to improve women’s retention and program
outcomes

2. Part 1: Women AOD Use & Abuse
W U Ab
Women and Men - Priorities
Men are action and activity oriented
oriented.
Women are people and process oriented.
Sex-Role stereotyping – males are societal,
women are familial
Body image, appearance key importance for
women; performance key importance for
males.

3. Men & Women - Communication
Males tend to be linear in conversation –
women tend to speak in a spiral.
Males less comfortable with expressing
“internal emotions” – compassion, love,
sadness.
Females less comfortable with expressing
“external emotions” – anger.
Women use more words.
Male communication is problem solving
oriented. Want to fix it.
Female communicates to process problems.
Want to express it.

4. Women & Men - Disparities
• In 2004, women's median annual earnings were only $.76 for every
$1.00 earned by men. For women of color, the gap is even worse –
only $.69 for African American women and $.58 for Latinas. (NOW)
• In California 55% of women are in the labor force. (American
FactFinder)
• 15.3% of California families with children below age 18 live below
the poverty level. In female headed households with children under
18 more than 32.5% are below poverty level (American FactFinder,
California)
• Fifty-five percent of all employed women work in female-dominated
y p p y
jobs (jobs in which women comprise 70 percent or more of the
workforce) whereas only 8.5 percent of all men work in these
occupations. (Men working in female-dominated jobs still receive
about 20 percent more than women who work in female-dominated
jobs.) (National Organization for Women)
Women’s Alcohol and Other
Drug Use is Different than
Men

5. Women’s Pathways to Use
Partners
Peer Pressure
Low Esteem
Self-Medicating/Coping with Pain
Media Messages
Women and Alcohol Use
Past Month Alcohol Use Among People Aged 12 +
percent of percent of
females males
Any use of alcohol 45.0% 57.5%
Binge alcohol use 15.1%
15 1% 30.8%
30 8%
Heavy alcohol use 3.3% 10.5%
Office of Applied Studies (August 2, 2007). Gender Differences in Alcohol Use and
Alcohol Dependence or Abuse: 2004 and 2005. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration. Available at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov

6. Alcohol Abuse by Race
Race and Alcohol Abuse/Dependence by Gender
percent of percent of
females males
White 5.6% 10.6%
African American/Black 3.5% 9.7%
Latino/Hispanic 3.8% 12.1%
American Indian/Native American 13.7% 19.5%
Pacific Islander 5.7% 12.8%
Asian 2.3% 5.4%
Two or More Races 7.7% 9.9%
Office of Applied Studies (August 2, 2007). Gender Differences in Alcohol Use and
Alcohol Dependence or Abuse: 2004 and 2005. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration. Available at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov
Alcohol Abuse by Age
Age and Alcohol Abuse/Dependence by Gender
percent of percent of
females males
Ages 12 ‐17 6.0% 5.5%
Ages 18 ‐ 25 12.9% 22.0%
Ages 26 ‐ 49 5.4%
5 4% 12.4%
12 4%
Ages 50 or older 1.6% 5.0%
Office of Applied Studies (August 2, 2007). Gender Differences in Alcohol Use and
Alcohol Dependence or Abuse: 2004 and 2005. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration. Available at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov

7. Binge Drinking
College Alcohol Study conducted by Harvard
University found that 50% of males and 39%
of female college students on US Campuses
binge drink. (Wechsler et al. 1995).
Nearly half of high school girls drink alcohol
and more than one in four binge drink.
(Grunbaum, et al., 2004)
23% of alcohol fatalities are female (inferred from
ADP Fact Sheet: Driving Under the Influence Statistics, Nov. 2004)
DUI Prevalence
Among adults (21 and older) 11 4% of
11.4%
females and 22% of males reported driving
while under the influence. (NSDUH, 2005)
Among youth aged 16 – 20, surveyed in
2002-2003, 18% of females report driving
under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs
in the last year. (24% of males)

8. Young women use substances to:
Improve mood
Self-medicate mood disturbances
Increase confidence
Lose inhibitions
Lose weight
Access to alcohol and other drugs
Partners, boyfriends & peers encourage use
Higher incidence of dependency associated with
child abuse and neglect
The experience women have with substance
use is very different then the experience
of men.

9. Problems and Consequences
The problems and consequences of substance
for women tend to be personal and self-
destructive.
The problems and consequences of substance
use for men tend to be societal and destructive
to others.
Worse Health Effects
Drink for drink, women’s brains and organs
drink
are exposed to a higher concentration of
alcohol compared with men.
Women are more likely to develop
inflammation of the liver and to die of
cirrhosis.
Telescoping effect

10. Sexual Related Consequences
More likely to experience sexual assault
More likely to have unplanned sex
Unplanned/teenage pregnancy and STDs
More likely to experience violence, domestic
violence
violence
Children
Women are often primary care-takers of
children.
• Alcohol use can lead to endangerment,
chaotic up-bringing, poor role modeling,
increased risk of abuse or neglect, CPS
involvement
Children are a barrier to accessing services.
• Child care, safety, fear of removal
Children are a motivator for change.

11. Women and DUI
Less Prevalence
Less Arrests
Barriers to Intervention and Participation
Reaching Women
Women with Multiple Problems
Relapse Factors
Prevalence
In 1988 women made up only 10.6% of DUI
10 6%
arrestees. By 1997 it had grown to 13.2% of
arrestees.
In 1997 more than 25,000 women arrested
for DUI.
2005 women = 17.5% of arrestees 31,160
women arrested.

12. Females Arrested for DUI less likely to
be Hispanic than Male Arrestees.
percent of percent of percent of
males females total
White 46.1% 65.4% 41.8%
Hispanic 47.8% 19.4% 44.1%
Black 6.6% 7.3% 6.7%
Other .4% 7.9% 7.5%
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Criminal Justice Statistics Center Report Series, Vol 1 No 1, Report on
Arrests for Driving Under the Influence, 1997, April 1999
2005 California
percent of percent of percent of
males females total
White 46.4% 60.7% 40.7
Hispanic 44.7% 23.8% 45.5
Black 7.1% 8.1% 7.1
Other 6.7% 7.4% 6.7
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Criminal Justice Statistics Center Report Series, Vol 1 No 1, Report on
Arrests for Driving Under the Influence, 1997, April 1999

13. Females are older at time of arrest
than males
percent of percent of percent of
males females total
Juvenile 0.9% 1.1% 0.9%
18‐24 22.3% 18.2% 21.8%
25‐29 19.3% 16.4% 18.9%
30‐39 30.8% 33.9% 31.2%
40‐49 17.4%
% 21.1%
% 17.9%
%
50 or older 9.4% 9.2% 9.3%
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Criminal Justice Statistics Center Report Series, Vol 1 No 1, Report on
Arrests for Driving Under the Influence, 1997, April 1999
CA 2005
Median Age – Males 33.0
Median Age – Females 33.3
42.7% of Males and 40.9% of Females
between 21 – 30
9% of males under 20 and 8.2% of females
8 2%
under 20

14. Fatal crashes among female drivers with BACs of .10 and
higher, by driver age*
*Computed from NHTSA 1997 Fatality Analysis Reporting System data.
Women Not Arrested
Among y
g youth aged 16 – 20, surveyed in
g y
2002-2003, 18% of females report driving
under the influence of alcohol or illicit
drugs in the last year. (24% of males)
Among those reporting driving under the
influence 6% of males and 2% of females
reported being arrested and booked for
DUI in the last year.
OAS, 2004

15. No Arrest – No Services
Among adults (21 and older) 11 4% of
11.4%
females and 22% of males reported driving
while under the influence. (OAS, 2005)
Among all adult drivers 1.1% of males and
.2% of females report an arrest for DUI.
(OAS, 2005a)
Is It Really Giving Them a
Break?
Erica’s Story 14 years old, driving under
Story. old
influence and crashed car. On scene – no
DUI checks. At Court 12 hours of
community service.
Police not wanting to see girls/young women
in jail, bring them home instead of arresting
them.

16. Messages that Reach Women
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
study explored young women's views of
impaired driving messages.
The data analysis showed that women were
most affected by
• emotional appeals
• graphic images of negative consequences
• PSAs depicting realistic situations
• those in which they could identify with the
characters
Reaching Women Continued
Authoritative messages were rejected by the
participants, especially the youngest women.
Using celebrities in these messages was not
viewed as effective.
Humor in PSAs was seen positively by some
participants and negatively by others.
The data indicate that impaired driving
messages targeting young women would be
more effective if they were tailored for them.

17. Barriers to Women’s Participation
Trauma
Powerlessness
Self-Efficacy
Family Responsibilities
Life Challenges
STIGMA
DUI Programs and Women
Designed for Men
g
Male dominated settings
How are family responsibilities addressed?
How is a woman with low self-efficacy and
powerlessness assisted?
Economic and other hurtles to
participation/case management?
STIGMA faced by women is greater than men.
Men with AOD problems also judge women more
harshly.

18. Paris Hilton hit Les Deux for her first visit
to a club since being released from jail
after serving more than three weeks for a
probation violation in an alcohol-related
d
driving case.
g case
Britney Spears didn't just make a
financial settlement with the owner of
a car she hit – she offered, to make a
personal apology.
Actress Michelle Rodriguez
Cynthia Watros, who plays Libby
speaks out about her sentence
on ABC's hit series "Lost,"
for violating probation.
pleaded guilty to drunken
driving in Hawaii.

19. Nicole Richie, who is six months
pregnant, has enrolled in a lengthy
anti-drinking education program.
Papers filed with the Superior Court
of California show that on Sept. 26
Richie signed up for a 18-month anti-
drinking driver course, known as the
SB 38 Alcohol Program.
She was "pleasantly surprised" to be
released after serving 82 minutes of
her four-day jail sentence for a
second DUI conviction.
Lindsay Lohan pleaded guilty to two counts of being
under the influence of cocaine and pleaded no
contest to driving with a blood alcohol level of .08
percent or higher and reckless driving.
She will serve at least 24 hours in jail in her
drunken-driving cases under the terms of a plea deal
reached Thursday. Lohan was also placed on three
years probation and ordered to complete an 18-
month alcohol education program.
She has completed her second treatment program,
has support of family and friends and a sober
companion for follow-up.

20. References
Office of Applied Studies (August 2, 2007). NSDUH Report:
Gender Differences in Alcohol Use and Alcohol Dependence or
Abuse: 2004 and 2005. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration. Available at
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov
Office of Applied Studies (July 1, 2005). NSDUH Report: Driving
Under the Influence Among Adult Drivers Rockville, MD:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Available at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov
Office of Applied Studies (September 2, 2005). NSDUH Report:
Offi f A li d St di (S t b 2 2005) R t
Arrests for Driving Under the Influence Among Adult Drivers
Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration. Available at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov
Criminal Justice Statistics Center Report Series, Vol 1 No 1,
Report on Arrests for Driving Under the Influence, 1997, April
1999
Office of Applied Studies (
pp (December 31, 2004). NSDUH Report:
, ) p
Driving Under the Influence Among Young Persons. Rockville,
MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration. Available at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov
Grunbaum, J.A., Kann, L., Kinchen, S., Ross, J., Hawkins, J.,
Lawry, R., et al. (2004). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance:
United States, 2003. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report:
Surveillance Summaries, 55 (SS-2).
(Wechsler et al (1995). Am. J. of Public Health. 85. 921-926.)
et.al. (1995) Am J Health 85 921 926 )
ADP Fact Sheet: Driving Under the Influence Statistics, Nov.
2004. Available at www.adp.ca.gov