Moderate vs. Heavy Drinking: Understanding the Differences

Moderate drinking is considered one drink a day for women and two for men. A drink equals 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits, 5 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of standard beer (5% ABV). This might seem lower than you expect. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider heavy drinking 8 or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more drinks per week for men. Importantly, another element is how many drinks are consumed on one occasion. Binge drinking is defined as 4 or more drinks on one occasion for women, and five or more drinks on one occasion for men. One occasion is considered 2-3 hours. Binge drinking poses specific risks and is extremely common.One in 6 Americans binge drink, and many binge drinkers don’t have alcohol use disorders.