The line between use versus abuse may not be as clear as it seems – do you know how much alcohol is in one drink? Or how about what constitutes an episode of binge drinking? Let’s find out. Take a look at the statements below – are they true or false? Try to give the quiz a shot before looking at the answers below. You can write “T or F” for each number on a piece of paper and check your answers at the end. No scrolling down!

1. Between 30-40 thousand deaths are caused by alcohol abuse each year.
2. Alcohol is the third most used and abused addictive substance in the United States.
3. Aside from those in the maternity or intensive care units, up to 40% of American hospital patients are there because of alcohol-related health issues.
4. Alcoholism increases the risk of oral, organ and intestinal cancers.
5. Men are more likely to be involved in a fatal alcohol-related car accident.
6. Frequent binge drinking is not as much of a concern as daily alcohol dependence.
7. Adults 25 and younger engage in the majority of binge drinking episodes.
8. One alcoholic drink contains about 1.2 tablespoons of pure alcohol.
9. You are considered a ‘moderate drinker’ if you are a male who has 2 drinks daily, or a female who has 1 drink daily.
10. Approximately 5 or more drinks for men, and 4 or more drinks for women on a single occasion constitutes an episode of binge drinking.

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Answers:

1. FALSE. Over 88,000 Americans die because of alcohol abuse annually.
2. FALSE. Alcohol is actually the number 1 most used addictive substance in the United States. Furthermore, the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Defense (NCADD) approximates that 1 in every 12 American adults (about 17.6 million) abuses or is dependent on alcohol.
3. TRUE. According to the NCADD, excluding maternity and ICU, approximately 40% of hospital beds at any given hospital in the United States are being used to treat alcohol-related (or alcohol-exacerbated) health conditions at any given time.
4. TRUE. Alcoholism increases the risk of certain cancers, such as esophageal, mouth, throat, larynx and liver.
5. TRUE. Men are actually twice as likely as women to be involved in an alcohol-related car accident death.
6. FALSE. Participating in regular binge drinking episodes can have just as many negative effects as someone who drinks less daily.
7. FALSE. According to the CDC, adults 26 and older account for 70% of binge drinking episodes. However, while youth do drink less often than older adults, when they do drink it is almost always dangerous binge-style.
8. TRUE. One drink contains about 0.6 ounces (or 1.2 tablespoons) of alcohol.
9. TRUE. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 1 drink daily for men and 2 for women constitutes moderate drinking.
10. TRUE. According to the CDC, approximately 5 or more drinks for men or 4 or more drinks for women on a single occasion constitutes an episode of binge drinking.

How did you do? Hopefully 10/10! Feel free to try our Smoking Quiz next. To read more about signs of addiction and how to get help, check out our post on alcohol abuse. Thanks for visiting DocChat!