Alcohol Awareness Month 2023: how much is too much?

April is alcohol awareness month; a time to reflect on our drinking patterns and the role that alcohol plays in our lives.

Most adults in the United States who drink, do so moderately and without complications. At the same time, alcohol-related problems are among the most significant public health issues in the country, especially in Wisconsin.

In a culture with significant binge drinking, people can have a skewed sense of understanding what is considered “too much” when it comes to alcohol awareness. In 2021, Wisconsin had the highest binge-drinking prevalence of any state, according to the CDC.

Binge drinking and drinking levels

• “Binge drinking” is a pattern of consuming alcohol that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 percent or higher. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks (male), or four or more drinks (female), in about two hours.
• The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) describes heavy drinking as:
  • For men – consuming more than four drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week
  • For women – consuming more than three drinks on any day or more than seven drinks per week
• The graph below shows the measurements and alcohol content that is considered a single standard drink for each type of alcohol or spirit.

Alcohol-related deaths

In 2021, 29.5 million Americans had an alcohol use disorder, and an estimated 140,000 people die from alcohol-related causes each year, making alcohol the fourth-leading preventable cause of death in the nation. Wisconsin outpaces nationwide binge drinking averages across all age and gender demographics.

• Alcohol-related deaths rose nearly 25% in Wisconsin in 2020, the biggest one-year increase in more than two decades, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum.
• In 2020, Wisconsin residents also died from alcohol-related causes at a rate nearly 25% higher than the nationwide rate.
• The age group with the highest death rates associated with alcohol in Wisconsin is 45-64 years old.

Links between stress and alcohol

Some stress can be productive, but it can quickly become unhealthy, particularly if it isn’t properly managed. Alcohol may feel like it reduces stress, but it’s actually a depressant that impairs and slows physical and psychological activity.

• Studies show high amounts of stress can lead to increased anxiety, however, continuously drinking alcohol to calm yourself long-term can lead to the development of an alcohol use disorder or other substance use disorder.
• About 20% of Americans with depression or an anxiety disorder also have a substance use disorder.
• More than 90% of people who have an addiction started to drink alcohol or use substances before 18 years old.

Screening for Alcohol Use Disorder

The assessment also helps to identify alcohol use disorders (including addiction) and some specific consequences of harmful drinking.

Providers have discovered that many of their patients underestimate how much they drink and are unaware of what an unhealthy amount of alcohol consumption is. Once they have the facts about how much alcohol is unhealthy and the harm it can cause to their health, 40% of patients report a reduction in alcohol consumption during subsequent assessments. This screening tool has proven to be an effective way to start the conversation and provide valuable information and connection to therapists or addiction specialists when necessary.

Asking for help

Experiencing substance use or other addiction can make daily life and relationships difficult and should not be ignored. Alcohol awareness month is the perfect time to take a closer look at this area of life and decide to reach out for help. Care teams at Ascension Wisconsin sites of care help treat addiction and substance use disorders and deliver therapies that focus on patients’ needs. Reaching out for support for addiction is an important step that takes courage. Ascension Wisconsin has dedicated treatment programs for adolescents and adults. You can also call or text 988 for the crisis hotline for help.