Being a heavy drinker is not synonymous with an alcoholic , as suggested by the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, conducted in the United States among 138,100 adults.
In fact, researchers claim that the vast majority of individuals who drink too much are not actually addicts, and that they can kick the unhealthy habit with force of will.
Experts label a "heavy drinker" a man who has five or more drinks in one sitting at least once a week or fifteen over the same period of time. For women, the dose is reduced to four and eight drinks, respectively. The result of the survey was that 29% of the population fit the definition, but only 10% of them were alcoholics.
This is good news, because while alcohol abuse is a serious health problem – it directly causes one in eight deaths in Europe – it is easier to remedy than addiction.
