Alcohol Consumption, 2004

Updated June 26, 2019 | Infoplease Staff

(persons 18 years of age and over)

Both sexes Male Female
Drinking status1
All 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Lifetime abstainer 24.6 17.8 30.6
Former drinker 14.5 14.9 14.4
Infrequent 8.0 6.9 9.0
Regular 6.5 8.0 5.4
Current drinker 60.8 67.3 54.9
Infrequent 13.3 10.0 16.4
Regular 47.1 56.7 38.3
Level of alcohol consumption in past
year for current drinkers2
All drinking levels 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Light 68.1 58.2 79.2
Moderate 24.0 33.5 13.2
Heavier 7.9 8.3 7.5
Number of days in the past
year with 5 or more drinks
All current drinkers 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
No days 67.4 57.3 78.6
At least 1 day 32.6 42.7 21.4
1–11 days 18.2 21.4 14.6
12 or more days 14.4 21.3 6.7
1. Lifetime abstainers had fewer than 12 drinks in their lifetime. Former drinkers had at least 12 drinks in their lifetime and none in the past year. Former infrequent drinkers are former drinkers who had fewer than 12 drinks in any one year. Former regular drinkers are former drinkers who had at least 12 drinks in any one year. Current drinkers had 12 drinks in their lifetime and at least one drink in the past year. Current infrequent drinkers are current drinkers who had fewer than 12 drinks in the past year. Current regular drinkers are current drinkers who had at least 12 drinks in the past year.
2. Level of alcohol consumption categories are defined as follows: light drinkers, up to 3 drinks per week; moderate drinkers, 4–14 drinks per week for men and 4–7 drinks per week for women; heavier drinkers, more than 14 drinks per week for men and more than 7 drinks per week for women in 2005.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health, United States, 2006.

Alcoholism Health Alcohol Consumption, 2000
Brewer's: Health
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