New NIAAA Web Site Offers Tools to Assess and Address Drinking Risks
Each week, the Higher Education Center showcases recent developments in the field of AOD abuse and violence prevention in higher education that may include new data and resources, upcoming events and programs, funding opportunities, and learning opportunities. To see a listing of previous This Week! features, visit the This Week! archive.
April 24, 2009
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has created a new Web site, Rethinking Drinking, designed to help users define their drinking patterns and develop strategies and options for dealing with alcohol-related problems, The Wall Street Journal reported.
“Most people don’t know what ‘drink responsibly’ means — they think it means not getting tanked,” says Mark Willenbring, director of treatment and recovery research at NIAAA. The new Web site is part of a broader effort to increase understanding of the array of alcohol-related disorders and redefine the way terms like “abuse” and “dependence” are used.
The Web site utilizes an interactive form that allows users to enter daily and weekly drinking amounts to determine how their consumption compares with national averages. The site has a drink-size chart and a content calculator to aid in determining what comprises a “standard” drink. Knowing the size and strength of a standard drink is critical, since some cocktails contain as much alcohol as three standard drinks.
The NIAAA considers the consumption of no more than four standard-size alcoholic drinks a day for a man or no more than three for a woman as placing individuals at low risk for serious alcohol problems. The weekly “low-risk” limit is no more than 14 drinks for a man or seven for a woman. More daily or weekly consumption creates a higher risk of abuse or dependence. Very few Americans exceed the weekly limits without exceeding the daily limit, Willenbring said.
The site features a downloadable print version to serve as a resource for those who counsel people concerned about their drinking habits.
For more information, visit the Rethinking Drinking Web site.