HEAVY DRINKERS IN THE GENERAL-POPULATION - COMPARISON OF 2 MEASURES

Heavy drinking is a composite phenomenon being operationalized in vari ous and at times misleading ways. With the ultimate goal of comparing the magnitude of the association between the studied patterns of heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems as they apply to public health policy, this project involved the comparison of two criteria used to d efine 'heavy drinking' in a general health survey that was carried out in the Province of Quebec (Canada). A weekly volume of 29 drinks or m ore (heavy weekly volume), an intake of 8 drinks or more within the sa me day (binge drinking) and an 'alcohol-related problems' measure base d on the CAGE questionnaire and some of the items of the DSM-III (prob lem drinking) were used as indicators. The major finding of this study was that, controlling for sex, education, psychological distress, pre vious hospitalisation for alcohol abuse and previous suicide attempts, the weekly volume of alcohol consumed is a better predictor of alcoho l-related problems than is daily consumption. The results are discusse d with respect to the implication on policy and prevention programs.