Oral

This session presents new findings on risk curves for a range of alcohol-related problems—injuries and DUIs (Cheryl Cherpitel), harms from drinking to life areas such as relationships, health and finances (Lorraine Midanik), alcohol use disorders including alcohol dependence and consequences (Jason Bond and Bill Kerr), and estimates of productivity losses due to work absenteeism (Tom Greenfield)—all related to drinking patterns, which Kerr’s presentation shows are best measured when accounting for respondents’ drink sizes and strengths. Together the broad problems addressed here inflict a huge toll in the US and other countries, both from chronic heavy drinking and high episodic quantities. We see heavy drinking as an interaction between overall intake (volume) and frequencies of exceeding quantity thresholds in a day (5+, 8+ and 12+ drinks). Data used combine the two latest National Alcohol Surveys (NASs), the 2000 and 2005 NAS, which involved representative US adult population samples in all 50 states and the DC. Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) included identical questions for our analyses. The surveys oversampled African American (n=2395) and Hispanic (n=1479) groups (total n = 14,531). Empirical risk curves—the increase in risks for particular problems associated with highly specific drinking patterns—are an essential epidemiological tool for estimating costs to society and helping target policy and preventive interventions. All speakers address the specific implications of their studies; Jürgen Rehm will discuss the alcohol policy impacts as a whole, how national alcohol surveys contribute to defining interventions, and where future research needs to go.

Session Objectives: Define drinking patterns and understand their importance in predicting a broad range of alcohol-related problems. Evaluate the role of heavy drinking in acute and chronic consequences, taking account of overall intake. Discuss the alcohol policy/prevention implications of these new population-based risk curve findings from recent National Alcohol Surveys

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)