Has America Crossed the Thin Line Between Social Drinking and Alcohol Dependence?

T.G.I.F or Thank God It’s Friday is a phrase that is often associated with having a good time and hanging out with friends. It is not uncommon to find groups spending their Friday night over good food and a few drinks to unwind and spill the tea.

This is a practice that everybody can engage in, be it a college student or a corporate professional. However, it’s only a matter of time before one drink becomes one too many. Just like anything else, alcohol consumption has its limitations.

Sometimes, a single extra drink can be an inconspicuous way of slipping into full-blown alcohol dependence. So, when does liquor become dangerous, and what is the right time to say no?

In this article, we will discuss social drinking vs. liquor dependence. As we do so, you will get to know how thin the line between the two is, making it easy to cross the threshold. If the US has indeed crossed it, we have a serious problem of alcoholism brewing on the horizon.

How Do Social Drinkers Differ from Those With Alcoholism?

To differentiate between the two, let’s understand what each is defined as. According to the Collins Dictionary, social drinking is the practice of consuming alcohol in social situations only. This means a social drinker would partake in occasional liquor consumption when friends or family are around.

On the other hand, the National Cancer Institute goes as far as considering alcoholism a chronic disease. It is defined as a condition in which an individual finds themselves craving alcohol at all times. They are unable to control these urges and require greater volumes of liquor each time to get the same high.

A social drinker may consume a drink or two at an event. However, they largely remain in control of their thoughts and actions. Alcohol dependence would involve consuming five drinks or more within two hours.

This leads to such intoxication that the individual is unable to control their thoughts and actions. They may say or do things in their drunken state that they may regret when sober.

Social drinkers can drive back home from the event. When matters have turned into alcoholism, driving safely becomes a major challenge.

The truth is everyone is at risk of going from a social drinker to an alcohol abuser. The top indicators of alcohol dependence include –

• Being unaware of when to quit drinking
• Continuing to drink despite adverse consequences
• Drinking to the extent that the alcohol replaces meals
• Using alcohol as a reward for trivial accomplishments
• Being avoided by friends or family in an intoxicated state

What is the Current Situation in the US?

Studies have found that 63% of American adults aged 18 and over consume alcohol on average. The numbers are highest among college-going students. Every week, respondents on average claimed to have consumed four drinks.

These figures only reveal one-half of the equation. Simply going by them will deceive us into thinking that Americans do not suffer from alcoholism. However, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states that around 28.9 million people in the country were alcohol-dependent as of 2023. It is believed that this issue escalated since the pandemic.

Alcohol consumption became a way for people to cope with burnout, social isolation, and trauma. Even 14% of pregnant women reported drinking despite their delicate situation. What’s even worse is that though millions have alcohol use disorder (AUD), only a few receive proper treatment.

Is it the stigma or the unwillingness to give up a comfort one is so used to? It is likely both as withdrawal symptoms can be extremely severe in some cases. While social drinking is a common practice in our country, it is subtly but surely turning into alcohol dependence.

Going Beyond Treatments: Strategies Needed at All Levels

Can alcohol dependence be treated? Yes, and the individual can recover enough to live a healthy and normal life. However, the process can be tough, uncomfortable, and long-drawn.

While treatment options will always be a part of this problem, preventative measures are the need of the hour. Is there a way to deter social drinking from becoming alcohol dependence? Let’s look at the strategies needed at all levels.

Government and Healthcare Interventions

The national and state governments’ support is required to discourage folks from excessive alcohol intake. How can it be done? Through policy changes. For instance – respective state governments can appoint reliable health policy analysts to reduce instances of alcohol addiction.

Such professionals may have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in public health. What’s interesting is the fact that healthcare specialists like nurses can participate in the policy-making process. With offline or online PhD programs in nursing and a health policy specialization, these professionals can bring about healthy changes.

According to Wilkes University, nursing professionals with these degrees are in a position to take up leadership roles for better healthcare outcomes. This naturally covers the realm of mental health and addiction. So, how will health policy analysts help? Listed below are the many ways –

• Limiting the sale of alcohol. This will include restrictions on where alcohol is sold, at what hours, and who may purchase it.
• Increasing the cost of the product through strategies like minimum unit pricing or taxation
• Enforcing stricter laws about intoxication. For example – the blood alcohol count (BAC) for drinking and driving can be further reduced.
• Restricting or banning alcohol advertisements, including promotions and sponsorships

Individual Strategies

We have previously touched upon strategies to be undertaken at the broader levels. Now, let’s look at some ways individuals can avoid drifting from social drinking into alcoholism.

• Making lifestyle changes, including counting one’s drinks and saying no to any extras
• Avoiding triggers like places and people where one might be tempted to drink
• Maintaining a diary to track one’s drinking habits
• Choosing alcohol-free days and sticking to them

So we see that the act of social drinking is performed for the sake of having a good time with peers once in a while. If it escalates, the next step of that ladder is alcohol dependence.

Folks with this issue drink to the excess, often endangering their lives and others. Only moderate use is relatively harmless. That would mean no more than two drinks per day for men and one for women.