“We think of substance use issues along a continuum now, going all the way from abstinence, to healthy use, to misuse, to abuse and to dependency. Healthy use for adults -- that’s men under age sixty-five -- is no more than four drinks in a day and no more than fourteen drinks in a week. And for women of all ages, it’s no more than seven drinks in a week and no more than three drinks on a day.”
Dr. Kowalchuk says that to get the health benefits linked to alcohol, men and women should limit their drinking even more.
“Pretty much all the literature that I’ve seen really shows that when you go above about one drink on average per day for women and two drinks on average per day for men younger than sixty-five, you start negating all of those positive health benefits.”
She also says staying within those limits is considered safe or non-hazardous drinking.
“For misuse you’re drinking above those limits, but you haven’t had a lot of consequences from your drinking. Once you get to abuse you start having consequences and despite the consequences you keep using. So that’s the hallmark of abuse, to continue using for at least a year despite having maybe a DUI (drinking under the influence), a health consequence, a work consequence or a family consequence.”
And, she says, alcohol dependency is further marked by a complete loss of control over alcohol use.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25