Question: What is moderate drinking? And when am I at risk for developing alcoholism?
Answer: Moderate drinking is the consumption of alcohol without reaching the point of being drunk. This “point” may differ from person to person, but general guidelines have been identified for most people.
According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate drinking is
- 2-3 standard drinks for men
- 1-2 for women
Altogether, this should be no more than an average of
- 12-14 drinks a week for men
- 9 drinks a week for women
Any more than those drinks places you at a higher risk for developing drinking problems. According to data from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 1 out of 4 people who exceed these levels of alcohol consumption suffer from alcoholism or alcohol abuse.
There are some benefits of moderate drinking, and if you’re interested, you can read how alcohol improves your health, but these slight health benefits are not worth the risk if you already suffer from alcoholism or have suffered from alcoholism in the past.
This blog post is part of our Commonly Asked Question series. Each post attempts to answer commonly asked questions about addiction, drugs, alcohol, recovery, and treatment.