Drinking Patterns

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Drinking Patterns

WHAT IS YOUR DRINKING PATTERN?	HOW COMMON IS THIS PATTERN?	HOW COMMON ARE ALCOHOL DISORDERS WITH THIS PATTERN?
WHAT IS YOUR DRINKING PATTERN?	HOW COMMON IS THIS PATTERN?	HOW COMMON ARE ALCOHOL DISORDERS WITH THIS PATTERN?
Based on the following limits— number of drinks: On any DAY—Never more than 4 (men) or 3 (women) – and – In a typical WEEK—No more than 14 (men) or 7 (women)	Percentage of U.S. adults aged 18 or older*	Combined prevalence of alcohol abuse and dependence
Never exceed the daily or weekly limits (2 out of 3 people in this group abstain or drink fewer than 12 drinks a year)	72%	fewer than 1 in 100
*Exceed only* the daily limit** (More than 8 out of 10 in this group exceed the daily limit less than once a week)	16%	1 in 5
*Exceed both daily and weekly* limits** (8 out of 10 in this group exceed the daily limit once a week or more)	10%	almost 1 in 2

* Not included in the chart, for simplicity, are the 2 percent of U.S. adults who exceed only the weekly limits. The combined prevalence of alcohol use disorders in this group is 8 percent.

Source: 2001–2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), a nationwide NIAAA survey of 43,093 U.S. adults aged 18 or older.

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