Women, Alcohol, and Risk: Why Moms Drink
You’re not alone if your drinking habits have changed since motherhood. But alcohol abuse among moms carries specific risks to your health and the well-being of your children.
You might have noticed more women, especially moms, talking openly about drinking, sometimes even joking about needing wine to get through the day. But behind the memes and social media posts, a real and growing problem is emerging. The relationship between women and alcohol is changing, with more women drinking and facing higher risks than ever before. Alcohol use disorders, drunk-driving arrests, and alcohol-related deaths among women are all on the rise.
In addition to the highly visible work mothers put in day in and day out, moms carry an incredible and often silent mental and emotional load. As we give thanks to moms and recognize the unconditional love you have for your families, we also want to shed light on the stress and sacrifices you make that may influence the growing connection between women and alcohol, including turning to drinking as a coping mechanism.
While this blog does not offer legal or mental health advice, Intoxalock and our partner, DUI.org, are leaders in the DUI educational space. If you are struggling with a DUI, please reach out to an Intoxalock State Specialist at (888) 283-5899. They can assist you with many aspects of your DUI journey, including getting an ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle.
Women and Alcohol: Are Women Drinking More?
Yes, women’s alcohol use is rising fast. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, women’s drinking has increased by 41% in the past two decades, and binge drinking among women is up 58% since 2006. Moms are part of this trend, with stay-at-home mom drinking statistics showing more frequent and heavier drinking than in previous generations.
You’re not alone if your drinking habits have changed since motherhood. And you’re not without support. Check out this article from our partner, “Alcohol Use Among Women is Rising: Are Personal Breathalyzers the Answer?”
Alcohol use in motherhood doesn’t just affect you, though. Moms’ alcohol abuse may shape your children’s lives and can lead to serious health, legal, and family consequences.
Women’s drinking has increased by 41% in the past two decades, and binge drinking among women is up 58% since 2006. - National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Why Moms Drink?
Several factors are fueling the rise in alcohol abuse among women:
Stress and Overload
Juggling work, parenting, and household duties can feel overwhelming. Many women turn to alcohol to cope. But alcohol affects women differently and is leading to emerging health issues like an increased risk for liver damage, heart disease, and breast cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol-related deaths among women have increased by 14.7% in the last 20 years.
Social Acceptance and Mommy Wine Culture
Drinking is often portrayed as a normal, even funny, way to handle motherhood. You might see “mommy wine” jokes everywhere. “Mommy wine culture” is the idea that moms need or deserve alcohol to survive parenting. You see it in memes, T-shirts, and social media posts. While it might seem harmless, this trend reflects a larger societal shift in how we view women and alcohol, with mommy wine culture potentially normalizing unhealthy drinking and making it harder to recognize when you need help.
Alcohol and Mental Health Struggles in Mothers
Anxiety, depression, and postpartum mood disorders can make alcohol seem like an easy escape. If you’re struggling with your mental health, alcohol can make things worse. Drinking may temporarily numb stress or sadness, but it often leads to more anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. For moms with postpartum depression, alcohol use can quickly spiral into addiction.
Alcohol and Parenting: Impacts on Children
Alcohol use can undermine how you care for your children by impairing your parenting skills, increasing the risk of neglect or abuse, and negatively affecting your children’s emotional, behavioral, and physical development.
Impaired Parenting and Emotional Connection
Research shows mothers who misuse alcohol are more likely to engage in harsh or punitive parenting, show less emotional closeness, and have fewer positive interactions with their children.
Increased Risk of Neglect and Abuse
Parental alcohol abuse increases the risk of child maltreatment, including both neglect and physical or emotional abuse.
Negative Impact on Child Development
Children of mothers who misuse alcohol are at higher risk for developmental delays, poor academic performance, and difficulties with self-regulation and social skills.
Modeling Unhealthy Coping and Substance Use
Children learn by watching their parents. When mothers use alcohol to cope with stress or emotions, children may adopt similar behaviors as they grow older. Children of parents with alcohol use disorders are four times more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder in adulthood.
Physical Health Risks
Mothers who drink during pregnancy put their children at risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), which can cause lifelong physical, behavioral, and cognitive problems.
Financial and Family Instability
Alcohol misuse can lead to job loss, legal issues, and financial instability, which further disrupts family life and can limit a mother’s ability to provide for her children’s needs.
Women and Alcohol: DUI Consequences for Moms
If you are pulled over and arrested for DUI with your child in the car, you face much harsher legal consequences and enhanced criminal penalties than a standard DUI.
Higher Fines and Jail Time
Most states increase both the fines and potential jail sentences when a minor is present.
Mandatory Minimum Jail Sentences
Some states require a minimum jail term even for a first offense, such as 48 hours in jail in California or Hawaii, or longer for repeat offenses.
Ignition Interlock Device (IID)
Courts often require installation of an Ignition Interlock Device on your vehicle for at least six months, even for a first offense. With more than 5,200 installation locations nationwide, Intoxalock can assist you with your IID installation, sometimes in the same day.
Child Endangerment
Driving under the influence with a child in the car is often considered child endangerment, which can be a separate criminal charge with its own penalties, including additional jail time and fines.
Felony Charges
In some states, a DUI with a minor in the car is automatically a felony, even if it’s your first DUI.
DUI with a Minor in the Car: State-by-State Penalties (First Offense)
| State | Felony? | Fine Range | Jail Time Range | IID Required | Child Endangerment Charge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | N | $600–$2,100 | 1 year max | Yes | Yes | Child <14 triggers enhancement |
| Alaska | N | $1,500+ | 3 days min | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Arizona | Y | $500–$2,500 | 10 days min | Yes | Yes | Aggravated DUI if child <15 |
| Arkansas | N | $1,000+ | 7 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| California | N | $1,000+ | 48 hours min | Yes | Yes | Child <14 triggers enhancement |
| Colorado | N | $600–$1,500 | 5 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Connecticut | N | $500–$1,000 | 2 days–6 months | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Delaware | Y | $500–$1,500 | 60 days–18 months | Yes | Yes | Child <17 triggers enhancement |
| Florida | N | $1,000–$200 | Up to 9 months | Yes (6 mo) | Yes | Child <18 triggers enhancement |
| Georgia | N | $300–$1,000 | 10 days–12 months | Yes | Yes | Child <14 triggers enhancement |
| Hawaii | N | $500+ | 48 hours min | Yes | Yes | Child <15 triggers enhancement |
| Idaho | N | $1,000+ | 10 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Illinois | N | $1,000+ | 6 months–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Indiana | N | $500–$5,000 | 5 days–3 years | Yes | Yes | Child <18 triggers enhancement |
| Iowa | N | $1,250+ | 48 hours–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <18 triggers enhancement |
| Kansas | N | $750–$1,000 | 48 hours–6 months | Yes | Yes | Child <14 triggers enhancement |
| Kentucky | N | $200–$500 | 48 hours–30 days | Yes | Yes | Child <12 triggers enhancement |
| Louisiana | N | $300–$1,000 | 10 days–6 months | Yes | Yes | Child <12 triggers enhancement |
| Maine | N | $500+ | 48 hours–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <21 triggers enhancement |
| Maryland | N | $1,000+ | 2 months–2 years | Yes | Yes | Child <18 triggers enhancement |
| Massachusetts | N | $1,000–$5 | 90 days–2.5 years | Yes | Yes | Child <14 triggers enhancement |
| Michigan | N | $200–$1,000 | 5 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Minnesota | N | $1000+ | 30 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Mississippi | N | $250–$1,000 | 48 hours–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Missouri | N | $500–$1,000 | 10 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <17 triggers enhancement |
| Montana | N | $600–$1,000 | 2 days–6 months | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Nebraska | N | $500–$1,000 | 7 days–60 days | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Nevada | N | $400–$1,000 | 2 days–6 months | Yes | Yes | Child <15 triggers enhancement |
| New Hampshire | N | $500+ | 10 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| New Jersey | N | $500–$1,000 | 6 months–18 months | Yes | Yes | Child <17 triggers enhancement |
| New Mexico | N | $500–$1,000 | 7 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <18 triggers enhancement |
| New York | Y | $1,000–$5,000 | 1–4 years (prison) | Yes (6 mo) | Yes | Child <16 triggers felony |
| North Carolina | N | $200–$2,000 | 7 days–2 years | Yes | Yes | Child <18 triggers enhancement |
| North Dakota | N | $500–$2,000 | 2 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <17 triggers enhancement |
| Ohio | N | $375–$1,075 | 3 days–6 months | Yes | Yes | Child <18 triggers enhancement |
| Oklahoma | N | $500–$1,000 | 10 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <18 triggers enhancement |
| Oregon | N | $1,000+ | 2 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <18 triggers enhancement |
| Pennsylvania | N | $1,000–$5,000 | Up to 5 years | Yes | Yes | Child <18 triggers 1st-degree misdemeanor |
| Rhode Island | N | $100–$400 | 10 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <13 triggers enhancement |
| South Carolina | N | $400–$1,000 | 48 hours–30 days | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| South Dakota | N | $1,000+ | 30 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Tennessee | N | $350–$1,500 | 30 days–1 year | Yes | Yes | Child <18 triggers enhancement |
| Texas | Y | Up to $10,000 | 180 days–2 years | Yes | Yes | Child <15 triggers felony |
| Utah | N | $700–$1,500 | 2 days–6 months | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Vermont | N | $750–$2,500 | 2 days–2 years | Yes | Yes | Child <17 triggers enhancement |
| Virginia | N | $500–$1,000 | 5 days–12 months | Yes | Yes | Child <17 triggers enhancement |
| Washington | N | $350–$5,000 | 24 hours–1 year | Yes (12 mo) | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| West Virginia | N | $100–$1,000 | 1 day–6 months | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Wisconsin | N | $350–$1,000 | 5 days–6 months | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
| Wyoming | N | $750–$3,000 | 7 days–6 months | Yes | Yes | Child <16 triggers enhancement |
Always consult a local DUI attorney for the most current and specific legal advice
Even one mistake can change your life and your children’s future. If you’re pulled over for suspected drunk driving and fail your field sobriety tests, officers may arrest you on the spot and child protective services could get involved.
How Intoxalock Can Help After a DUI
If you’re facing DUI charges, you don’t have to go through it alone. Intoxalock offers ignition interlock devices that help you regain your driving privileges safely and legally. These devices require you to pass a breath test before your car starts, helping you stay accountable and avoid further legal trouble. Learn more about what happens after a DUI.
How Ignition Interlocks Can Help Moms Practice Safe Alcohol Use
You want the best for your children and yourself. By understanding the risks of alcohol use, especially as a mom, you can make safer choices and set a positive example for your family.
According to the CDC, ignition interlock devices are one of the most effective ways to prevent drunk driving, reducing repeat offenses by 67% compared to license suspension alone. You can voluntarily choose to install an IID or explore using a personal breathalyzer as another accountability tool.
If you’re struggling, you’re not alone; help is available, and change is possible. Contact our Interlock Customer Service team at (888) 283-5899.
Women, Alcohol, and Risk: Questions Mothers Need to Know
Why is the connection between women and alcohol growing stronger?
Stress, social acceptance, and mental health struggles are major reasons. “Mommy wine culture” also plays a role in normalizing drinking.
What are the health risks of alcohol use in women?
Risks include liver disease, breast cancer, heart problems, memory loss, and addiction.
How does alcohol affect parenting and family life?
Alcohol can impair your judgment and reaction time, making it harder to care for your kids and increasing the risk of accidents or neglect.
Can alcohol use lead to a DUI even if you're a mom?
Absolutely. If you drive after drinking, you can be arrested for DUI, face enhanced penalties if your kids are in the car, and risk impacting custody.
What should I do if I think I drink too much?
Reach out for help. Talk to your doctor, a counselor, or call the SAMHSA National Helpline for confidential support.
