Information provided by Federal Occupational Health

In many cultures, drinking alcohol is a regular part of socializing and celebrating; however, alcohol can be a powerful drug, and overconsumption can put your safety and health—even your life—at risk. Long-term overindulgence can cause serious damage to your health. 
 
If you don’t already drink, the recommendation from Dietary Guidelines for Americans is not to start. But if you do drink, the recommendation for moderate drinking is one drink or less for women and two drinks or less for men, per day. 
 
Defining a Standard Drink 
A standard drink is usually equal to a bottle of beer, a glass of wine, a shot of distilled liquor, or a cocktail or mixed drink. This definition is based on the percentage of alcohol usually found in these different drink categories. The percentage of alcohol in drinks can vary widely; therefore, if you’re drinking beer or wine, read the labels and adjust accordingly. 

• Many beers (like microbrews) may contain more than 5 percent alcohol. If you take this into account, a 12-ounce beer with 10 percent alcohol counts as two standard drinks, not one. 
• Wines are usually served in portions that exceed 5 ounces, which may mean that you are consuming two or more drinks instead of just one. 
• Many mixed drinks have multiple shots of liquor. You can always ask the bartender to make your cocktail with just one shot to ensure that you control the number of drinks you imbibe. 
• Mixed drinks, like martinis, may look like one drink, but they pack the punch of two or three, depending on the size and shots of alcohol included. 

Too Much, Too Often 
According to the National Institutes of Health, at risk or heavy drinking for men is more than four standard drinks in one day or more than 14 standard drinks in one week. For women, it’s more than three standard drinks in one day or more than seven standard drinks in one week. This guideline shows how fine the line between moderate drinking and at-risk drinking is. That’s why it’s so important to keep track of how many drinks you have. 
 
Binge Drinking 
Binge drinking is a dangerous pattern of drinking that can put your health and safety at serious risk. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as drinking that raises your blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 percent or higher. 
 
Alcohol Abuse 
Alcohol abuse occurs when drinking behavior causes disruptions in your life. If you suffer from alcohol abuse, you may have difficulty with the following: 

• Making it to work on time 
• Keeping up with your work 
• Remembering everything that happened when you were drinking (a “blackout”)
• Recovering from drinking the next day  

Alcohol Dependence 
Alcohol dependence or alcoholism is when you need alcohol to function normally and you have trouble controlling your use of alcohol. Alcoholism is a serious condition and should be dealt with right away. Some characteristics of alcohol dependence are the following: 

• Craving alcohol 
• Needing more drinks to get a euphoric feeling or “high” 
• Having a hard time controlling the number of drinks consumed once you’ve started drinking
• Having withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit  

The good news is that help is available from numerous sources. If you find that you have become dependent on alcohol, seek help immediately. Counseling services are available through your EAP, a 24-hour helpline is available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP (4357), and information on local chapters of Alcoholics Anonymous is available online.