A comparison of alternative measures of alcohol consumption in the Canadian National Survey of alcohol and drug use.

Based on the results of the 1989 National Alcohol and Drug Survey in Canada, this paper compares alternative measures of alcohol consumption. Utilizing questions developed by Walter Clark, the volume of drinking in a variety of social situations is described. The results are presented in terms of aggregate consumption and the proportion of total consumption which occurs in different situations. It is found that anchoring self-reported alcohol use in specific social contexts results in higher estimated consumption than the more commonly used quantity/frequency questions.