As we at Drinking Diaries well know, the spectrum of drinkers is a broad one indeed. Between the two poles—abstainer and alcoholic—is a world of stops along the way. We could have a field day coming up with names for the different kinds of drinkers (and maybe one day on this site, we will), but for now, suffice it to say that the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has begun to address the spectrum on its new Web site, Rethinking Drinking.
A recent article in The Wall Street Journal quoted Mark Willenbring, director of treatment and recovery research at NIAAA: “Most people don’t know what ‘drink responsibly’ means—they think it means not getting tanked…But there are levels of drinking that raise your risk for alcohol problems just like high cholesterol raises your risk for heart disease.”
So just what are those levels for women? The organization says women are at low risk for serious drinking problems if they have no more than 7 standard-size alcoholic drinks a week (for men, it’s 14). That’s one a day, people.
Or—you could save up for the weekends and have all seven in one night! Right? Wrong. NIAAA recommends no more than 3 drinks on any single day.
The key is knowing the size of a standard drink, and the site helps with that. At some restaurants, a glass of wine could actually be more than one standard-sized drink. A wine bottle usually holds five 5-oz. glasses.
Other features of the site:
–A tool where you can plug in your average intake and see how you compare with the general population and problem drinkers.
–An “urge tracker,” where you record times when you wanted a drink and why, what you did and what you might have done differently.
–A section on “refusal skills” that helps you plan ahead to say no in social situations.
Check out the site. Let us know if you find it helpful. And if anyone wants to take a stab at coming up with a list of names for the different kinds of drinkers, please feel free.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Maybe there should be some sort of graphic i.e. like a thermometer that goes from 1 drink per day(for women) in the green zone and on up.Or something like the “terror level alert” color scheme. Hopefully that would catch people’s attention…not everyone takes time… nor do they want… to read the details.
Words to describe drinking levels may not carry the same visual/visceral connection.
I drink anywhere from 6 to 12 beers a day..I need treatment away from life for 10 to 30 days. Without insurance, because my husband and I own a small business, we cannot afford Health Insurance…Such is life, I cannot do it alone or on my own will power…