AlcoholMisuse

Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world, especially for youth. It acts as a depressant on the central nervous system, which can make you sleepy, drowsy, or light-heated. It also affects brain activity, mood, memory, behavior, coordination, and self-control. 

Alcohol misuse happens when someone consumes too much alcohol or consumes alcohol in unsafe ways, such as during pregnancy, before driving, or while taking certain medications. It can lead to unsafe situations and even become alcohol use disorder (AUD). 

  • Types of Misuse

    Binge Drinking

    Binge drinking is when an individual consumes enough alcohol within two hours to raise their blood alcohol concentration to 0.08% or higher. For adults, this is equivalent to men consuming 5 or more standard drinks or women consuming 4 or more standard drinks. For youth, depending on their age and size, this is equivalent to boys consuming 5 or more standard drinks or girls consuming 3 or more standard drinks.

  • Types of Misuse

    High Intensity Drinking

    High intensity drinking is a form of binge drinking where an individual consumes at least two or more times the thresholds for binge drinking. This is equivalent to men consuming 10 or more standard drinks or women consuming 8 or more standard drinks.

  • Types of Misuse

    Heavy Drinking

    Heavy drinking is when an individual consumes high amounts of alcohol regularly or over an extended period of time. For men, this is equivalent to consuming 5 or more standard drinks in a day or at least 15 within a week. For women, this is equivalent to consuming 4 or more standard drinks in a day or at least 8 drinks within a week.

HarmfulEffects

Alcohol use can lead to many harmful effects that hurt you, your family, and your community.

Drinking excessively in a short period of time can lead to:

  • Injuries from accidents such as motor vehicles accidents, falling, drowning, or burns
  • Violence, including homicides, sexual violence, domestic violence, or suicides
  • Alcohol poisoning (where the levels of alcohol in the bloodstream affect body functions such as  heart rate or breathing)
  • Overdose from combining alcohol with other drugs or medications, such as opioids or stimulants
  • Sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) or unwanted pregnancy from unprotected sex as a result of alcohol use
  • Miscarriages, stillbirths, or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) from alcohol use during pregnancy

Alcohol use over a long period of time can lead to:

  • Cancer, including breast cancer, liver cancer, and  esophageal cancer
  • Heart damage and disease
  • Liver damage and disease
  • Stroke
  • Alcohol use disorder (AUD)
  • A weaker immune system, making it easier to get sick
  • Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety
  • Memory problems, such as dementia
  • Learning problems
  • Issues at work or at school
  • Relationship issues with family and friends

By the Numbers

0
people die from excessive alcohol use every year in the U.S.
Source: cdc.gov
0
young people under 21 die from excessive alcohol use every year.
Source: cdc.gov
0
people die from alcohol related cancers every year in the U.S.
Source: cdc.gov
0
Americans die from excessive alcohol use every day—that's about 20 people every hour.
Source: cdc.gov
0
people in California died per year from excessive alcohol use from 2020 to 2021.
Source: cdph.ca.gov
0 +
years of life on average are lost to excessive alcohol use.
Source: cdph.ca.gov
0
emergency department visits and admissions in 2024 were alcohol-related—that was 4.6% of all emergency department visits.
Source: hcai.ca.gov
0
Native Americans visited the emergency department due to excessive or chronic alcohol consumption in 2024.
Source: hcai.ca.gov
0
Native Americans were hospitalized due to excessive or chronic alcohol consumption in 2024.
Source: hcai.ca.gov
Answer The Call

ProtectYour Community

ReduceHarm

Many of the effects of alcohol can be prevented. Here are some strategies to reduce harm from alcohol consumption for yourself, your family, and your community:

You can reduce some of your risk by reducing how much you drink. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recommends that men drink no more than two standard drinks and women drink no more than one standard drink per day.

It is important to note that while drinking less can reduce some risks, there are still health risks from consuming any alcohol. That said, even a small change can make a big difference.

Quitting is another option to reduce alcohol-related harm. It is the only way to reduce all risks that come from consuming alcohol. It is also the safest option for some people and certain situations.

If you have never consumed alcohol, don’t start.

  • You can help reduce or prevent underage drinking by:

    • Not giving or serving alcohol to persons under 21 years of age
    • Educating youth about alcohol-related risks
    • Modeling healthier behaviors for youth, such as drinking less or quitting alcohol use

Benefits

Drinking less or quitting alcohol can have short-term and long-term benefits for your health and relationships. Some of the benefits of reducing alcohol consumption include:

  • Improvements in judgements, decision-making, and coordination
  • Improvements in your relationships with family and friends
  • Reduced issues at work or school
  • Lowered risk for:
  • Injuries from accidents, such as motor vehicles accidents, drowning, burning, or suicide
  • Alcohol poisoning and overdoses
  • Being a part of violent crimes
  • Health conditions, such as cancer or heart or liver disease
  • Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety
  • Memory problems, including dementia
  • Learning problems

FAQ

Talk with your doctor about alcohol use disorder (AUD) if you noticed any of the following symptoms in the past year:

  • Had times when you drank more, or longer, than you intended to
  • Tried to cut down or stop drinking more than once, but couldn’t
  • Spent a lot of time drinking, being sick from drinking, or getting over the aftereffects of drinking
  • Wanted a drink so badly you couldn’t think of anything else
  • Had issues with family, school, or work due to drinking or being sick from drinking
  • Continued to drink despite having issues with family and friends due to drinking
  • Gave up or cut back on activities you enjoy due to drinking
  • Gotten into situations during or after drinking that increased your chances of getting hurt more than once (such as driving, swimming, using machinery, having unprotected sex, etc.)
  • Continued to drink even though it made you depressed, anxious, black out, or otherwise hurt your health
  • Had to drink more than you did before to get the effect you wanted or found your usual amount of drinking affected you less than it used to
  • Experienced withdrawal symptoms when the effects of the alcohol wore off

Withdrawal symptoms for alcohol include:

  • Trouble sleeping
  • Shakiness
  • Restlessness
  • Nausea
  • Sweating
  • Racing heart
  • Dysphoria (feeling uneasy or unhappy)
  • Malaise (general sense of being unwell)
  • Feeling low
  • Sensing things that aren’t there
  • Seizures

Some earlier studies linked low or moderate drinking with some health benefits. However, these early studies are highly debated by scientists as these studies did not consider certain factors that could influence the results and may have masked the health effects of not drinking alcohol at all. More recent and rigorous research has determined that there is no health benefits from consuming alcohol.

You should avoid consuming any alcohol if you:

  • Are pregnant or might be pregnant
  • Are under 21 years old
  • Have certain diseases caused by or aggravated by alcohol, such as liver disease, diabetes, or bipolar disorder
  • Take medications that can interact with alcohol, such as opioids or stimulants
  • Experience facial flushing or dizziness when drinking alcohol
  • Can’t control the amount of alcohol you drink
  • Are recovering from alcohol use disorder (AUD)

<p?If you have mixed feelings or are unsure about cutting back on or quitting alcohol, you can try the following:</>

  • Keep track of how often and how much you drink
  • Take note of how drinking affects you
  • Make a list of pros and cons of cutting back on or quitting alcohol
  • Deal with other priorities that may be in the way
  • Ask for support from your doctor, a friend, or another person you trust

Remember, making a change earlier is likely to be more successful and less destructive to you and your family.

Resources

Check Your Drinking
Drink Less
What is a Standard Drink?
Hangovers
Harmful Interactions
Alcohol Overdose
Talk to Your Child About Alcohol
Parenting to Prevent
Alcohol & Your Pregnancy