Preventing Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States and is a risk factor for many health and societal problems. In 2006, the estimated economic cost of excessive drinking in the U. S. was $223.5 billion (Bouchery et al 2011).

Excessive alcohol consumption can take the form of heavy drinking, binge drinking, or any drinking by pregnant women or underage youth.

• Heavy drinking is defined as more than two drinks per day on average for men or more than one drink per day on average for women.
  • Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks during a single occasion for men or four or more drinks during a single occasion for women.
  • Approximately 1 in 6 US adults binge drinks, about 4 times a month. On average, the largest number of drinks consumed during a binge is 8.
• Underage drinking is considered a form of excessive drinking because it is both illegal and often involves consumption in quantities and settings that can lead to serious immediate and long-term consequences.
  • People aged 12 to 20 years drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States. More than 90% of this alcohol is consumed in the form of binge drinks (OJJDP) [PDF - 1.08MB] .

Task Force Recommendations & Findings

This table lists interventions reviewed by the Community Guide, with Task Force findings for each (definitions of findings). Click on an underlined intervention title for a summary of the review.

Interventions Directed to the General Population
Dram Shop Liability	Recommended March 2010
Electronic Screening and Brief Intervention (e-SBI)	Recommended August 2012
Increasing Alcohol Taxes	Recommended June 2007
Maintaining Limits on Days of Sale	Recommended June 2008
Maintaining Limits on Hours of Sale	Recommended February 2009
Overservice Law Enforcement Initiatives	Insufficient Evidence March 2010
Privatization of Retail Alcohol Sales	Recommended Against April 2011
Regulation of Alcohol Outlet Density	Recommended February 2007
Responsible Beverage Service Training	Insufficient Evidence October 2010
Interventions Directed to Underage Drinkers
Enhanced Enforcement of Laws Prohibiting Sales to Minors	Recommended February 2006

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