Different definitions and terms for problem alcohol use
| Terms | Definitions |
| Low-risk drinking | Generally defined as a daily intake of no more than 20 g of alcohol with at least two non-drinking days weekly. Low-risk drinking limits are defined differently for cis-gender males and females, that is, not more than three and two drinks a day on average, respectively.20 |
| Problem drinking (PD) | Problem drinking, commonly referred to as ‘alcohol abuse’, ‘alcohol misuse’ or ‘AUD’, is a pattern of alcohol intake that harms one’s health or relationships with others. It is a general term that covers a range of alcohol-related problems, from mild to severe.11–16 |
| Hazardous drinking | A quantity or pattern of alcohol intake that puts individuals at risk for adverse health events, which carry the possibility of physical or psychological harm.17 18 |
| Harmful drinking | A quantity and pattern of alcohol intake that causes physical or psychological harm and the presence of physical or psychological complications.17 19 |
| Heavy episodic/binge drinking (HED/BD) | Defined as the intake of five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women per occasion in most studies (roughly 60 g of pure alcohol), which brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL in about 2 hours.21 |
| Excessive/heavy drinking (HD) | Heavy drinking is the quantity of alcohol consumed that exceeds a set threshold. It is often defined as the weekly use of more than 14 drinks on average for males and more than seven drinks for females. Some countries define it as the average number of binge episodes per person during 30 days or weekly drinking of more than 21 drinks for males and more than 14 drinks for females.21–24 |
| Alcohol dependence (AD) | Based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—4th edition (DSM-IV), AD is characterised by a problematic pattern of alcohol use that results in clinically significant impairment or distress. It is also a symptom of continuing to use alcohol despite knowing that continued use will cause serious social or interpersonal problems (eg, violent arguments with their spouse while intoxicated or abusing children).25 |
| Alcohol abuse (AA) | AA is a pattern of alcohol intake that has adverse outcomes and harms a person’s physical health, mental health, interpersonal connections and general functioning. AA involves excessive and frequent alcohol consumption despite its harmful effects. It can be less severe than AD because it requires fewer symptoms and can only be diagnosed once the DSM-IV criteria have determined that AD is not present.25 |
| Alcohol use disorder (AUD) | AUD is a chronic medical disorder defined by an individual’s compulsive and problematic pattern of alcohol consumption, diagnosed when an individual’s alcohol consumption leads to significant distress or impairment in their daily functioning. It is characterised by a cluster of behavioural and physical symptoms, including withdrawal, tolerance and craving, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—5th edition (DSM-5).11 26 |
AA, Alcohol abuse; AD, Alcohol dependence; ASSIST, The Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test; AUD, Alcohol use disorder; AUDIT, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test; BD, Binge drinking; HD, Heavyy drinking; HED, Heavy episodic drinking; HED/BD, heavy episodic or binge drinking; PD, Problem drinking.