Women's Dependency on Prescription Drugs
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DOCUMENT REZONE ED 192 200 CG 0111 656 TITLE Women's Dependency on Prescription Drugs: Hearing Before the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Ccntrol, Hcuse of Representatives, Ninety-Sixth Congress, First Session: INSTITUTION Congress of the U.S., Rashington, D.C. House. TEPORT NO SCNAC-96-1-8 PUB DATE 13 Sep 79 NOTE 108p.: Parts cf this dccument may be marginally leaible due tc small print. EDRS PRICE 0E01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. CEScRIPTORS *Advertising: Alcoholism: Blacks: *Drug Abuse: Drug Addiction: *Drug Use: *Females: *Hearings: *Physicians: *Rehabilitation Prcgrams: Sedatives: Sex Bias: Stitrulnts IDENTIFIERS *congress 96th ABSTRACT This record of the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control contains testimonies addressing the problems facing drug abusing women. The extensive prescribing of legal drugs such as tranquilizers, sedatives, pain killers, and stimulants is examined. The problems cf polydrug abuse and alcohol abuse in combinaticn with ether drugs are also explored. A member cf Women-Together, Inc., a self-help counseling and peer therapy group, describes her problems with prescription drug abuse and hew she worked to overcome addiction. A psychiatrist/psychoanalyst presents testimony on the miseducation cf doctors about mind-drugs and on the various advertising policies and gimmicks used by drug companies to attract physician use of their products. Se4sw in drug advertising is also discussed. The treatment procedures far drug-dependent women used by various.prcgrams are described in testimonies by women associated with those programs. A final testimony concentrates on prescription drug abuse by middle-aged black women. A section on women and Pills reports cr women's vulnerability tc prescription drug abuse, lists eight danger signals of addiction, and presents a complete chart of the 12 most abused drugs. (NRE) 4********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** cc', WOMEN'S DEPENDENCY ON PRESCRIPTIONDRUGS1--' 'f--/..° cqN 4 _ cr% BESTCOPYAVAILABLE HEARING BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON s NARCOTICS ABUSE AND CONTROL v HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY-SIXTH CONGRESS FIRST,11 SESSION SE1TE1111ER 13. 1970 Printed for the lime of Inc Select Connattico on Narcotic* Alaigu and Control SONAC-90-1-8 U 6 Oil PARTMENT OP MOWN. IOUCAT.ON A WIELPAMI NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF IDUCAVON ToNS DOCUMCNT HAS IIIIN REPRO. OUCIO EAACTLY M PTICESVIO FROM THEAmor. aq0q6ANIZAT ION OAsOIN ATNO it 11000100 viEWOR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NCCOSSAOKyaltPle 0 SENT OTT4CIArostiONA6 INSTITUTE OP NOucAltON POSITION OA POLICY T 0 I 4144. tIOVIIIINSIHN'r PRINTINO OIPPleg 104,1$ 0 wAstitsaTos :it470 ... , 2 -, SELECT COMMITTEE ON N11RCOTICS ABUSE AND CONTROL LESTER L. WOLFF, New York, Vlisirsian FETRit W. UODINO, Jut., New Jorl-ey TOM RAILSBACK, Mauls I: (KtKA) tIE itGARZA. To lois ROBIN L.PICARD.Tonnossoo MORGAN F. 51UltrIlY. 11EXIANIIN A. GILMAN. New York CHARLES ff, kANGEL. Net" York TENNYstIX GEYER. Ohio FOIITNEY IL (PETE) ST_IIIK, CaliforniaLAWRENCH COI:Ot1 IAN, l'ontisFlvatiiii GLENN ENGLISIC Oklahoma ROBERT E. DOILNAN. California BILLY L. EVANS, Georgia LEO C. EIIVERETTI. Nt w York STEPHEN L. XICAL, Nurib Cutrvllua JAMES II. ECIIEUER, York tr OA* MARIO BIAGGI, Noir York CAROMS COLLINS, Illinois DANTE It. PASC1111.1.. LINDY BOGGS,L11111411118 ItAIMARA .111KU1.XICI. Maryland EARL HUTTO. Florloln ROBERT T. MATSUI, Cantonal' GEORGE PANIELMI.Calltr.ornia DANIEL H. ,IICAKA, Hawaii 3/ATTMEW 11JSALDO..New Jersey ROBERT L. (BOB) LIVINGSTON. Louisiana CHARLES P. DOUG HERTY. Poniasylmilk IIENRY 11T Ills. Illinois JOIIIC W. JENRETTE, 3k.. Smith Carolina COM M trrEEstArr linitics L. CAkroivrikii, Chtef Counsel .tt,S1,1 IiarnitAru, Mel of Striff.--SuPpiti itounT M_Ilrytmer, Chill of 4$0Desoisti ltokeok Wrukit. Minor:to Cesnsei TASK roan ON WOMENAND DkUns CAILDISSCOLLINS, Illinois.TeakForel- t'seholrisan 11{01111:1tT IC. 101tNAS, Callforuuki, Task Poem Vsehairisait Mkryintol BENIANIIN A. OILMAN. Non. York LINDy ilOGGS. Louisiana TANK VoltCE sTAter AragA CHIT of xf011---Noipfe. TOSIMunn. Preto/stoma skiff .%lcotbcp Pro/rodukof lytoJrcorlier 4 CONTENTS Patty Thiarsday. September 13. Van 1 Testimony of Cynthia Ilagintaiss. Women-Together. NC.. GinSAbOr11. .N.J 4 Tvstlinotiy of Ito lien Seidenberg. 1I.1).. psyeltoamtlyst n tut psychiatrist. Cpstnte Medical Center. Stste University of New York at Syracuse- 19 4# Testimony of Doris DeWitt executive director. drat; liberation pro- gram. Stamford. Court 37 Testimony or Phyllis I lalperst. coordinator of womett's programs. Xew Jersey Sante Department of Health. Alcohol. Nareotie. and Drug '40 Abuse Control 39 Pestlmony of itarIntra Gibson. senior administrntive tissocinte. Addle- tioo Research and Treatment Corporation. New York. NS 42 Prepared statement of Cynthia Maginniss 4$ Prepared statement of Dr. Robert Seidenberg .... te2 Prepared statementof Doris DeHnff-.._ 73 Preptired stotement of MY! lis lialliern $9 Prepared statement of Barbara Gibson 102 (III) * o 4 AUG 18 1980 WOMEN'S DEPENDENCY ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1979 IInufir. OF REPRESENTATIVES, SELECT COMMITTEE ON ;;LICS ABUSE ANDCo 11tt]L, 1Vaghington, D.C. The Select Committee met, rsi:ant to notice, at 1:14 p.m., in room SUS Rayburn House Unice Building, lion. Cardiss Collins (acting eimirwomatt of the :4elect Committee) presiding. Present: Representatives Stephen L. Neal. Benjamin A. Gilman. Lawrence Coughlin, Robert K. J)orn ;tn, Lindy Boggs, and Barbera A. Mikulski. Staff present: Patrick L. Carpenticr, chief counsel; Alma Bachrach, chief of staff supply; Toni 131uggi and Elliott Brown, twolessional staff members; Roscoe Stanek, minority counsel; and Dmne.. Striar, press dicer. 1111.9. Cm.r.axs. This task force hearing of the Select Committeeon Narcotics Abuse and Control willnow come to order. Recently, the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control formed it task force which is charged with the responsibility of ad dressing the problems facing women who misuseor abuse drugs. This 1.s a critical problem requiring oqr immediate attention. I am especially gratified to share the assignment with Congressman Dornan, to chair this task force onwomen and drug abuse. As one of the few women in Congress, I feela particular sense of duty in dealing with this particular subject. %%T are all prone to thinking of drug abuse III titling of the male population and-ht terms of illicit drugs suchas heroin, cocaine, and marihuana. It might. snrprise on to learna greater problem with this is some 2 Million women whoare dependent on legal prescription drugs and, in addition. an estimated 5 millionwomen who are abusing alcohol. often in combination with other drags. Doctors write more than 200 million prescriptions weltyour for tranquilizers, sedatives, painkillers. and stimulants; tics show that women account for two thirds of these prescriptiom lforenver, because of the double standard that exists betweenmen and women, it. is not uncommon fora doctor to advise a male patient to work omit his problems in the gymor on the golf coarse. while female with the same symptoms is likely to be givena prescription for Valium. What happens next is borne out bycuterFency room statistics. ._Six _out of_ seven persons reporting.a ding crisis of. any kind - are- wonten. Particularly susceptible to abuse of legal drugsan, women bet wenn the ages of 1E and 25. Complicating the problemfor most of these women is the added responsibility of caring for small children and the (1) 2 stigma -:.)1* ug abuse which has kept welly women fromseeking problem ire.:rent. Resea.ch. s cite ii number of reasons why more women than men abuse moo-I.-altering drugs. These range front the boredom of house- ; sw increased amount of stress women are encountering while 4.1tatout- '4- their roles in our society. No ;:tiestion. it would be a simple matter to blame the medical pro- fe "aa or the pharmaceutical industry for the lack of control in -.Tithing Or monitoring the distribution of these drugs. hit the prs,Aem goes umlt deeper than that. Ono of the primary functions of this tusk force will be to create rmblic awareness to encourage preventive measures and adequate 'treatment. Today, the committee will hear from Mrs. Cynthia Inginniss who is consultant to Together, Inc. We will also hear from Dr. Robert Seidenberg, who is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Upstate Medical Center, State University of New York, in Syracuse; Ms. Phyllis I lalpeett who is coordinator of women's programs for the New 4Crsey State Department of Health, Alcohol, Narcotic and Drug Abuse Control ; Dr, Pails Dello if. 0:4A:ti- dy° director of a national demonstration program, Stamford, Conn.; and :Ifs. Barbara Gibson who is a senior administrative associate of Addiction lic::earch anti MAMMA Corporation in New Yovic City. Before going forth with the hearing, we will at this time have a statement front the cochairman of the task force on. women anti drug abuse, Mat Dornan, DORXAN. I titanic my distinguished colleague. It is, indeed, an honor to chair this important committee with so distinguislwd colleague. I would just like to say very briefly that I concur wholeheartedly that this series of committee hearings is critically important because .1 believe that if they are given the proper equipment, treatment, mind service, it will save lives. It is with it great amount of satisfaction to be a Congressman or Congresswoman. Today, we are voting on a nuclear aircraft carrier, We will be handling the defense budget. All this weelc, we will be voting on export controls to Communist countries, discussing massive computers. All of these issues have, in the long run, the import Wotan they deal in the Saving of human lives. But when you discuss medical problems in the Congress espeeially when it involves drugs, you literally have the ability us1.11ember of Congress to save the short rimnext week. the week after, next month, to make a dog in the yearly death toll of those who overdose and die by abusing &lags, particularly those who have a polydrug problem and mix them waltaleoltol.