Health habits of recovering alcoholics

Heavy drinkers and alcoholics are known to have generally poor health habits in terms of cigarette smoking, seat belt use, diet, and preventive health practices. Little is known, however, about health habits of recovering alcoholics. We analyzed national survey data to describe the health habits of recovering alcoholics compared with heavy drinkers (four or more drinks per day). Recovering alcoholics had a significantly elevated odds of using seat belts regularly and reporting preventive health practices that are known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, recovering alcoholics were at significantly decreased odds of being cigarette smokers. Although the cross-sectional data have limitations, they indicate there may be more health benefits in recovery from alcoholism than abstinence alone.