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Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with many health and societal problems including chronic diseases, unintentional injuries, and violence. In 2010, the estimated economic cost of excessive drinking in the U.S. was $249 billion (Sacks et al., 2015).
Excessive drinking includes binge drinking, heavy drinking, and any drinking by pregnant women or people younger than age 21 (CDC ).
- Binge drinking, the most common form of drinking, is defined as consuming five or more drinks during a single occasion for men or four or more drinks during a single occasion for women.
- Heavy drinking is defined as consuming fifteen or more drinks per week for men or eight or more drinks per week for women.
Most people who drink excessively are not alcoholics or alcohol dependent (Esser et al., 2014).
Underage drinking is considered a form of excessive drinking because it is both illegal and often involves consumption in quantities and settings that can lead to serious immediate and long-term consequences (CDC ).
Task Force Findings
Displaying 1 - 5 of 10
Pages
Summary Table
This summary of CPSTF findings to prevent excessive alcohol consumption can be used as a reference, included in presentations, or shared with colleagues.
Implementation Resources
Implementation Products
CDC’s Health Impact in 5 Years (HI-5) Initiative
HI-5 highlights non-clinical, community-wide approaches that have evidence reporting 1) positive health impacts, 2) results within five years, and 3) cost effectiveness and/or cost savings over the lifetime of the population or earlier. The website features links to implementation resources and success stories that can help communities get started.
Pricing Strategies for Alcohol Products
Guide for Measuring Alcohol Outlet Density 
[PDF - 13.2 MB]
Developed by CDC’s Alcohol Program
Planning and Implementing Screening and Brief Intervention for Risky Alcohol Use: A Step-by-Step Guide for Primary Care Practices [PDF - 2.12 MB]
Developed by the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Action Guides
Strategizer 55 - Regulating Alcohol Outlet Density: An Action Guide
Developed by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America in partnership with the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Strategizer 57: Reducing Alcohol-Related Harms Through Commercial Host Liability 
Developed by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America in partnership with the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Webinars
Indian Health Service Clinical Grand Rounds: Preventing Excessive Alcohol Consumption and Related Harms (September 19, 2013)
Developed by The Community Guide and hosted by the Indian Health Service
Presentations and Promotional Materials
Community Guide In Action: Stories from the Field
CityHealth Gives Local Communities Evidence-Based Tools to Improve Health
Lowering Legal Blood Alcohol Limits Saves Lives
What Works - Fact Sheets
Preventing Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Community Guide News
Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with the CDC Alcohol Program
Regulating Alcohol Outlet Density Prevents Excessive Alcohol Use
Task Force Finds Commercial Liability an Effective Strategy to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harms
Task Force Recommends Against Privatizing Retail Alcohol Sales
Task Force Recommends Increasing Alcohol Taxes to Prevent Excessive Alcohol Use and Other Harms
Media Outreach
CDC Media Release: Task Force Finds Commercial Liability an Effective Strategy to Reduce Alcohol-related Problems
Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC’s Alcohol Program
CDC Media Advisory About Maintaining Limits on Days and Hours of Sale: CDC Releases Two Reports on Excessive Alcohol Use and Related Harms
Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC’s Alcohol Program
CDC Newsroom Formatted Article About Maintaining Limits on Days and Hours of Sale: Reducing the Harms from Drinking Too Much by Limiting Access to Alcohol [PDF - 208 kB]
Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC’s Alcohol Program
Promotional Materials
Summary of Task Force Recommended Strategies: Evidence-Based Strategies to Prevent Excessive Alcohol Consumption and Related Harms [PDF - 71 kB]
Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC’s Alcohol Program
Slides and Presentations
Public Health Grand Rounds — Preventing Excessive Alcohol Use: What Public Health Can Do
Hosted by CDC