Why quantity per occasion matters more than weekly total
Item 3 — six or more drinks in one sitting — carries disproportionate weight in the evidence, because episodic heavy drinking drives injury, arrhythmia, and dependence risk more sharply than the same volume spread evenly across a week.
- • A standard US drink is 14g of pure alcohol
- • Thresholds differ by sex because of body water and metabolism
- • Brief interventions after a positive screen have solid evidence
A positive screen is a conversation, not a label
Most people who screen positive are not dependent; they are drinking at a level that raises long-term risk. The evidence-backed next step is a brief structured conversation with a clinician, which measurably reduces consumption in this group.
FAQ
What is a bad AUDIT-C score?
3 or more for women and 4 or more for men is considered a positive screen. 8 or more indicates high-risk drinking in either group.
Does the screener diagnose alcoholism?
No. It identifies risky patterns. Diagnosis of alcohol use disorder requires assessing control, cravings, tolerance, withdrawal, and life consequences.
What counts as one drink?
In the US, 12oz of regular beer, 5oz of wine, or 1.5oz of spirits — each about 14 grams of pure alcohol.
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