| Type of Drinking | Definition | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Non-problematic drinking | <1 stand ard drink daily (see definition of “stand ard drink” below) | Some evidence suggests that this level of alcohol consumption is healthful |
| Moderate drinking | ≤2 drinks a day for males under age 65. ≤1 drink daily for women and people >65 | |
| At-risk drinking | Males: >4 drinks in any day or 14 drinks a week. Females: >3 drinks in a day or 7 drinks a week | Also called “hazardous” drinking or “problematic alcohol use” by some agencies. |
| Binge drinking | >5 drinks on any single occasion | Binge drinking carries an increased risk of adverse consequences, including motor vehicle accidents, assaults or aggressive behaviors, and alterations in consciousness. |
| Harmful drinking | Any quantity of drinking that produces physical or psychological injury. Any drinking during pregnancy, for example. | See “problem drinking” below. |
| Heavy drinking | Males: >2 drinks a day on average Females: >1 drink a day on average | Note that “heavy drinking” begins at the upper limit of “moderate drinking” and overlaps with “at-risk drinking.” |
| Problem drinking | Drinking that causes life problems for the drinker, e.g. health-related, legal, relationship, or occupational difficulties. | “Problem drinking” is also called “alcohol abuse,” or “alcoholism” when it persists for >12 months. |
| Underage drinking | Drinking before reaching age 21 | Varies from one legal jurisdiction to another. |
| Driving while intoxicated (DWI) | A legal term, defined by the states, for the crime defined as operating a motor vehicle while influenced by alcohol (or other drugs). | Most states rely on both a stand ard that includes observable impairment in motor function, speech, and balance, and a blood alcohol level (adults) of 0.8. Also called ”DUI” (“driving under the influence”). |
Stand ard drink: ½ oz alcohol (12 oz beer, 5 oz wine, 1.5 oz distilled spirits). Many habitual users of alcohol drink larger quantities of alcohol, e.g., 8 oz of wine, 16 oz beer, mistakenly believing these to represent a single drink.