At-Risk Drinking: Excessive Drinking Defined by the NIAAA
What is excessive drinking? If you follow public health discussions on the risks of alcohol consumption, or have simply seen headlines addressing the topic, you may be asking yourself what is considered “excessive drinking.” In the U.S., the guidelines used to define this dangerous pattern of alcohol intake — also known as heavy drinking — come largely from a federal agency called the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or NIAAA.
Let’s take a closer look at how the NIAAA defines excessive drinking and relatively safe moderate drinking.
