Grading Scale for Alcohol Use

Aka: Grading Scale for Alcohol Use, Grading Alcohol Use, NIAAA Quantity and Frequency Questionnaire

1. See Also
   1. Alcoholism Screening
   2. Substance Abuse Evaluation
   3. Alcoholism
   4. CAGE Questions
   5. Chemical Dependency Brief Counseling
2. Indications
   1. Screening for Alcohol Dependence
3. Background: Standard drink equivalents (12 grams of Alcohol)
   1. Can of 4.5% Beer (12 ounces)
   2. Glass of 12.9% wine (5 ounces)
   3. Glass of 40% or 80-proof liquor (1.5 ounces)
4. History: NIAAA Quantity and Frequency Questionnaire
   1. How many days per week do you drink Alcohol on average?
   2. How many drinks do you have on a typical day?
   3. Maximum drinks on a single occasion in the past month?
5. Grading: Alcohol use
   1. U.S. NIAAA definition for "safe" Alcohol use
      1. Men: 2 drinks per day (1 drink if over age 65 years)
      2. Women: 1 drink per day
   2. U.S. NIAAA definition for "at risk" Alcohol use
      1. Men: 14 drinks per week or 4 drinks per occasion
      2. Women: 7 drinks per week or 3 drinks per occasion
   3. U.S. NIAAA definition for "heavy" Alcohol use
      1. Men: Over 5-6 drinks per day
      2. Women: Over 3-4 drinks per day
6. Resources
   1. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
      1. http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/guide
7. References
   1. (2000) NIH Publication 00-1583, p. 429-30