Below are
selected publications and materials related to alcohol use. Please note the year
of publication may be later than the year(s) the data represent.
Women and Alcohol
(4/30/08)
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is one of the top preventable causes of
birth defects and developmental disabilities. There is no known amount of
alcohol that is safe to drink while pregnant. There is no safe time to drink
during pregnancy. Alcohol can harm a baby at any time during pregnancy.
Types of
Alcoholic Beverages Usually Consumed by Students in 9th-12th Grades-
Four States, 2005 (8/31/07)
Liquor (e.g., bourbon, rum, scotch, vodka, or whiskey) was the most
prevalent type of alcoholic beverage usually consumed among students in
9th-12th grades who reported current alcohol use or binge drinking.
Among female students, liquor was the most prevalent type in all four
states, followed by malt beverages in Arkansas, New Mexico, and Wyoming
and beer in Nebraska (25.6%).
Here’s to an Alcohol-Free
Pregnancy (8/31/07)
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, so does her unborn baby. Remember, if
a pregnant woman does not drink alcohol, she will prevent serious
disabilities caused by alcohol in her unborn baby.
2006 Publications and Materials
Smoking and Alcohol Behaviors Reported by
Adults- United States, 1999–2002(12/1/06)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ad/ad378.pdf This report presents
prevalence estimates for self-reported adult smoking and alcohol related
health risk behaviors in the United States. Data are from the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected from 1999 to 2002.
Tables included in this report present estimates for smoking and alcohol
risk behaviors by selected sociodemographic characteristics among adults
20 years of age and older. For alcohol use, more females (19%) were
lifetime abstainers than males (7%). Males (36%) had a higher percentage
of moderate to heavier drinkers than females (14%), and a similar
pattern for males and females that drank five or more drinks in 1 day
for all adults (40% and 16%, respectively) and for current drinkers (51%
and 23%, respectively). The percentage of current and former smokers was
higher for men than women. A higher percentage of women started smoking
at 21 years and older than men (26% and 18%, respectively).
Youth Exposure to Alcohol Advertising on Radio- United States, June-August
2004 (9/19/06)
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5534a3.htm
The findings in this report indicate that approximately half of alcohol
advertising on radio aired during programs in which the audience was
youth-oriented. Compared with boys, underage girls had higher levels of
exposure to 11 alcohol brands and in 41 of the 104 markets and less exposure
to 13 brands and in 63 markets.
Notice to
Readers: Surgeon General's Advisory on Alcohol Use in Pregnancy
(3/30/05)
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5409a6.htm
In February 2005, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an Advisory on Alcohol
Use in Pregnancy to raise public awareness about this important health
concern. Research demonstrates that prenatal alcohol exposure can result in
a spectrum of birth defects that can affect a child's growth, appearance,
cognitive development, and behavior. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are
preventable if a woman abstains from drinking alcohol while pregnant.
2004 Publications and Materials
Alcohol
Consumption among Women Who Are Pregnant or Who Might Become Pregnant-
United States, 2002 (12/30/04)
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5350a4.htm
To determine the alcohol consumption patterns among all women of
childbearing age, including those who are pregnant or might become pregnant,
CDC analyzed data for women aged 18-44 years from the 2002 Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance System survey. The results of that analysis indicated
that approximately 10% of pregnant women used alcohol, and approximately 2%
engaged in binge drinking or frequent use of alcohol. The results further
indicated that more than half of women who did not use birth control (and
therefore might become pregnant) reported alcohol use and 12.4% reported
binge drinking.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Guidelines for Referral and Diagnosis
(8/30/04)
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/documents/FAS_guidelines_accessible.pdf
These guidelines update and refine diagnostic and referral criteria in light
of the scientific and clinical advances in the understanding of this
disorder during the past 30 years. The guidelines are organized into several
sections: background information; revised and refined diagnostic and
referral criteria for FAS; comparison of the guidelines with other
diagnostic methods currently in use; a discussion of the essential services
for affected individuals; identifying and intervening with women at risk for
an alcohol-exposed pregnancy; and future needs and efforts related to FAS
and other prenatal alcohol-related disorders.
Alcohol Use
among Adolescents and Adults- New Hampshire, 1991-2003 (3/30/04)
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5308a3.htm
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services used measures for
alcohol surveillance to facilitate statewide trend analysis of alcohol use
among adolescents and adults. This report summarizes the results of that
analysis, which indicated that, in 2003, a total of 30.6% of adolescents
reported binge drinking. In the 2001 New Hampshire Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System, 15.8% of adults reported binge drinking. During
1991-2001, men were two to three times more likely than women to report
binge drinking. In 2001, women of child-bearing age were six times more
likely to report binge drinking than women aged >45 years. In 2001, a total
of 6.3% of adults reported heavy drinking. No statistically significant
differences were observed in heavy drinking between men and women during
1991-2001. Alcohol abuse is the third leading preventable cause of death in
the United States.
2003 Publications and Materials
Motivational Intervention to Reduce Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancies- Florida,
Texas, and Virginia, 1997-2001 (2003)
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5219a4.htm
This report describes the association between baseline drinking measures and
the success women have achieved in reducing their risk for an
alcohol-exposed pregnancy. The analysis compares the impact of the
motivational intervention at 6-month follow-up on women drinking at high-,
medium-, and low-risk drinking levels. The findings indicate that although
69% of the women in the study reduced their risk for an alcohol-exposed
pregnancy, women with the lowest baseline drinking measures achieved the
highest rates of outcome success, primarily by choosing effective
contraception and, secondarily, by reducing alcohol use. Women with higher
baseline drinking measures chose both approaches equally but achieved lower
success rates for reducing their risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy. A
randomized controlled trial of the motivational intervention is under way to
further investigate outcomes of the phase I study.
Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome- South Africa, 2001 (2003)
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5228a2.htm
This report summarizes the findings of a prevalence study, which indicate a
high prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) among first-grade children
in four nonwine-growing communities around Johannesburg. Because South
Africa has limited resources and many competing health problems, integrating
prenatal alcohol-exposure prevention activities with existing prevention
programs should be explored.
Alcohol
Use and Pregnancy
(2003)
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/factsheets/FAS_alcoholuse.pdf
Maternal prenatal alcohol use is one of the leading preventable causes of
birth defects and developmental disabilities. Approximately one in 30
pregnant women in the United States reports “risk drinking” (seven or more
drinks per week, or five or more drinks on any one occasion). More than half
of all women of childbearing age in the United States report that they drink
alcohol. Prenatal alcohol-related disorders are 100% preventable.
2002 Publications and Materials
Alcohol Use
among Women of Childbearing Age - United States, 1991-1999 (2002)
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5113a2.htm
To characterize trends in alcohol use among women of childbearing age, CDC
analyzed representative survey data from the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS) during 1991-1999. This report summarizes the
results of the analysis, which indicate that the rate of any alcohol use
(i.e., at least one drink) during pregnancy has declined since 1995.
However, rates of binge drinking (i.e., >5 drinks on any one occasion) and
frequent drinking (i.e., >7 drinks per week or >5 drinks on any one
occasion) during pregnancy have not declined, and these rates also have not
declined among nonpregnant women of childbearing age. Pregnant women who are
unmarried and older tend to have the highest rates of alcohol use. Women who
drink alcohol are more likely than other women to be white, unmarried,
younger, and working full time outside the home. Prenatal drinking patterns
are highly predictive of alcohol use during pregnancy. Health-care providers
should routinely screen women of childbearing age for alcohol use and
counsel them about the adverse effects of alcohol use during pregnancy.
Prenatal exposure to alcohol is one of the leading preventable causes of
birth defects, mental retardation, and neurodevelopmental disorders in the
United States.
National
Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect: Defining the
National Agenda for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Other Prenatal
Alcohol-Related Effects (2002)
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5114a2.htm
This report describes the structure, function, mission, and goals of the
Task Force and provides their first recommendations. An explanation of how
the Task Force recommendations were generated and the Task Force's next
steps are also reported. Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to serious birth
defects and developmental disabilities. A need exists to develop effective
strategies for both children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or other
prenatal alcohol-related effects and for women at high risk for having an
alcohol-exposed pregnancy.
Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome- Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, and New York, 1995-1997
(2002)
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5120a2.htm
This report summarizes the results of an analysis of the Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome Surveillance Network (FASSNet) data on children born during
1995-1997, which indicate that FAS rates in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, and
New York ranged from 0.3 to 1.5 per 1,000 live-born infants and were highest
for black and American Indian/Alaska Native populations. This report
demonstrates that maternal alcohol use during pregnancy continues to affect
children. Recent data indicate that the prevalence of binge (i.e., >5 drinks
on any one occasion) and frequent drinking (i.e., >7 drinks per week or >5
drinks on any one occasion) during pregnancy reached a high point in 1995
and has not declined. The number of children affected adversely by in-utero
exposure to alcohol is probably underestimated.
2001 Publications and Materials
Alcohol
Use among U.S. Adults, 1997-98 (2001)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/01facts/alcoholuse.htm
This report presents selected prevalence estimates for alcohol use
among U.S. adults, using data from the 1997-98 National Health Interview
Survey. Overall, alcohol consumption practices varied by gender, age, race
and ethnicity, educational attainment, poverty status, and marital status.
About 62.4% of U.S. adults were current drinkers; about 5% of adults were
heavier drinkers. About 1 in 5 adults (20.5%) had five or more drinks in 1
day at least once in the past year; men (29.8%) were more than twice as
likely as women (11.9%) to have had five or more drinks in 1 day at least
once in the past year. Current drinking was most prevalent in the 25-44 year
age group for both men (76.9%) and women (66.0%) and declined steadily with
age from 45 years on.
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Questions and Answers about
Alcohol Consumption
