Heavy Drinking Among U.S. Adults, 2018.

Heavy drinking is defined as the average consumption of more than 7 drinks per week for women and more than 14 drinks per week for men in the past year (1). Heavy drinking is associated with an increased risk of alcohol use disorders, suicide, interpersonal violence, traffic injuries, liver disease, certain cancers and infectious diseases, and adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (1,2). This report describes adult alcohol use in the United States and presents the prevalence of heavy drinking by demographic characteristics, select mental health indicators, and select measures of health care access and utilization. All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.