Phil speaks with Dr. Nicole Lee, Adjunct Professor at the National Drug Research Institute and CEO of Hello Sunday Morning, about the alarming rise in alcohol-related deaths among Australian women — now at a decade high.

Dr. Lee explains that women face unique challenges in reducing alcohol use, including relentless marketing that frames alcohol as a reward for coping with stress, parenting, and daily life. The glorification of “mummy wine culture” is not only profitable for alcohol companies but also dangerously misleading.

Alcohol is contributing to serious health issues in women, including liver disease, heart problems, cancer, worsening mental health, and intensified menopause symptoms. Yet support services remain lacking.

Barriers to treatment include shame, stigma, fear of judgment (especially for mothers), and a lack of safe spaces — particularly for women who have experienced gender-based violence.

Dr. Lee stresses the need for urgent, gender-sensitive action to address this growing crisis.

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