ALCOHOL
Common Drug Names: juice, sauce, hooch, vino, liquid courage
Alcohol is the common term for ethanol or ethyl alcohol, a chemical substance found in alcoholic beverages such as beer, hard cider, malt liquor, wines, and distilled spirits (liquor). In the United States, a standard alcoholic drink contains 14 grams of pure alcohol (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). Generally, this amount is found in 12 ounces of beer, 8-9 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor.
Alcohol has a strong effect on people; therefore, public health experts have developed guidelines to alcohol consumption. There is no safe level of consumption.
Moderation Guidelines
Level of Consumption
Moderate alcohol drinking
Heavy alcohol drinking
Binge drinking
Women
Up to 1 drink per day
4 or more drinks a day or 8+ in a week
4 or more drinks within 2 hours time (roughly)
Men
Up to 2 drinks per day
5 or more drinks a day or 15+ in a week
5 or more drinks within 2 hours time (roughly)
DRUG TRENDS
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 88,000 people die from alcohol-related deaths each year in the United States. Alcohol continues to be one of the nation’s most preventable causes of death, second only to tobacco and poor diet/sedentary lifestyle.
