RISK FUNCTIONS FOR ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS IN A 1988 US NATIONAL SAMPLE

To assess the relationship of alcohol use and three types of alcohol-r elated problems (ICD-IO dependence syndrome, work problems and drunk d riving), risk curves were developed for average number of drinks per d ay during last year (volume) and number of days drinking five or more drinks during one day (5+). Using data from the 1988 National Health I nterview Alcohol Supplement, risk curves were derived from data on 22 102 current drinkers who consumed at least 12 drinks in the last year. The emphasis in this analysis was on the proportion of drinkers at lo wer levels reporting different types of problems. The results indicate that even at lower levels of drinking (volume averaging one or fewer drinks/day) there is considerable risk for drunk driving and less risk for work problems and alcohol dependence. The risk for all types of p roblems at lower and moderate levels of drinking was significantly hig her for respondents who had five or more drinks during one day in the last year. These findings underscore the importance of examining risk (physical and social) at lower levels of drinking and for using both o verall volume and heavier quantity per occasion drinking measures when assessing risk for any alcohol-related problem.