What type of drinker are you?

Before you read this, please see the article: What is one drink?. The definition of a drink can be different in different countries.

Also note, alcohol can hit some people harder (e.g. teenagers, old people, thin people, persons with health problems). A couple of drinks might not do anything to a healthy grownup. But a couple of drinks might make a teenager quite drunk. So these definitions might not apply.

Moderate drinker

As per United States National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), moderate drinking is:

1 drink per day for women

2 drinks per day for men

Situation examples: a glass of wine with dinner, a beer while watching a football game, one mixed drink at a bar, one cocktail at a cruise

Binge drinker (too much drinking quickly)

As per United States National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), binge drinking is:

4 or more drinks within couple of hours (for women)

5 or more drinks within couple of hours (for men)

Such drinking takes your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 g/dL or more

Situation examples: happy hours; bottomless promotions; wine tastings; beer samplers; drinking whole bottle of wine in one session; drinking whole six pack beer in one session

Heavy drinker

As per United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), heavy drinking is:

4 or more drinks within couple of hours on 5 or more days in a month (for women)

5 or more drinks within couple of hours on 5 or more days in a month (for men)

High intensity drinker (extreme binge drinking)

The definition is not yet agreed by doctors and scientists. But it means someone who is drinking with the goal of getting wasted. One definition of high intensity drinking is:

8 or more drinks within couple of hours (for women). That is double the number of binge drinking

10 or more drinks within couple of hours (for men). That is double the number of binge drinking

Situation examples: 21st birthday drinking; drinking games; tequila shots; jello shots; beer bongs

Read more

Drinking levels as defined by NIAAA

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Page last updated: 25-August-2019