Alcoholism: You can drink a lot without the disease

Contrary to popular opinion, only 10% of American adults who drink heavily are alcoholics, according to a federal study released Thursday. This finding could have implications for reducing the consumption of beer, wine and liquor.

While many people think that all who drink in large quantities are alcoholics, medical specialists have long suspected that the idea is wrong, said Robert Brewer, author of the study.

To substantiate this hypothesis, Brewer and his research team analyzed data from 138,100 adults in the country. The study found that 90% of heavy drinkers did not meet criteria for alcoholism.

Women who drink eight or more times per week and men who take 15 times or more are considered heavy drinkers. However, the alcoholic is characterized by its inability to terminate or reduce the consumption of the beverage, continue eating even after personal problems arise and drink all day long.

Only a third of those admitted having been drunk 10 times or more in the previous month were alcoholics, according to the study. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines binge drinking as consuming four drinks for women and five for men on one occasion.

Alcoholism was more common among those with a family of less than $ 25,000 annual income, research indicates. But heavy drinkers should not celebrate the results of the study, said Brewer. Drinking too much is unhealthy and causes 88,000 deaths per year, regardless of the drinker is not an alcoholic, the CDC warned.

The health effects include breast cancer, liver and heart disease and automobile accidents. "Anyone who takes the study concluded that heavy drinking is not dangerous unless one is dependent simply not getting the message that drinking heavily is bad, period," Brewer said.

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