The demographic distribution of drinking patterns in 1984

The demographic distribution of drinking and heavy drinking in a 1984 survey are presented to provide updated prevalence estimates for these phenomena. Several measures of drinking patterns are used, including: the frequency of drinking, the monthly volume consumed, the frequency of drinking five or more drinks on an occasion, the frequency of drinking eight or more drinks in a day, and the frequency of self-reported drunkenness. In most cases, the present results confirm earlier findings. However, the present data give better information on Black and Hispanic drinking patterns than was available in earlier surveys. Results not consistent with earlier studies are that there are contradictory findings regarding the relationship between socio-economic status and drinking and that the drinking patterns of divorced and separated men diverge from those of divorced and separated women.