Temporal pattern of alcohol consumption in the United States.

Alcohol is a major risk factor for many causes of injuries. A preliminary assessment of alcohol's involvement in specific causes of injuries must take into account when people are drinking. This study quantified the weekly and diurnal rhythm of alcohol consumption for the general U.S. population using data collected in a national survey. The data showed a strong temporal pattern consisting of more drinking on weekends with daily peaks in the early evening and troughs in the early morning. The national temporal drinking pattern was positively correlated (0.22 to 0.56) with national temporal patterns of motor vehicle accidents, a cause of injury commonly associated with drinking.