Indicators

Heavy episodic drinking is part of the key indicators which provide information regarding the patterns of alcohol consumption in a given country. More specifically, it identifies the proportion of the population which consumes high levels of alcohol at single occasions, and consequently highlights the population which particularly has a higher risk of experiencing alcohol-related acute harm but also developing chronic health complications.

Heavy episodic drinking is defined as the proportion of adults (15+ years) who have had at least 60 grams or more of pure alcohol on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. A consumption of 60 grams of pure alcohol corresponds approximately to 6 standard alcoholic drinks. Numerator: The (appropriately weighted) number of respondents (15+ years) who reported drinking 60 grams or more of pure alcohol on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. Denominator: The total number of participants (15+ years) responding to the corresponding question(s) in the survey plus abstainers.

Sex, Age

A representative sample of the adult population (15+ years) of the country is asked to answer questions in a survey. The first priority in the decision tree is given to internationally comparative, nationally representative surveys (in this order of preference: WHS, STEPS, GENACIS, and ECAS); second is national surveys.

Weighted percentages of survey respondents, where abstainers were coded as having 0 occasions.

Survey estimates weighted by population size of countries.

Every 3-5 years

Every 3-5 years

Preferred data sources: Internationally comparative, nationally representative population-based surveys.

msb@who.int

NMH/MSD/MSB