NIAAA defines heavy alcohol use as follows:
For men, consuming five or more drinks on any day or 15 or more per week
For women, consuming four or more drinks on any day or eight or more per week
According to the 2024 NSDUH, 14.4 million adults ages 18 and older (5.5% in this age group) reported heavy alcohol use in the past month
Five drinks for me would be a good date night dinner at home (cocktail hour, plus two glasses of wine with dinner). Hardly a bacchanal, but apparently America is slacking as of late.
I think this is part of some effort to destroy the last of the public’s confidence in these institutions after their COVID handling fiasco. The health risks and elevated risks of dying is true, but in a couple studies were similar to cycling or walking on city streets, and nowhere near the risk from sedentary lifestyles and social isolation.
All he people I’ve known over the years with alcohol problems weren’t fretting over 5 ‘standard drinks’, they were drinking well over 15 drinks every single day. Also, they didn’t think they had a problem. Except with sleeping, a couple ounces for a nightcap, or shakes in the morning, a quick swig or so for that.
Someone has a drinking problem when they can’t stop. Doesn’t matter how much someone drinks in one sitting or even during some horrible week at work.