Goal 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Indicator 3.5.2 - Harmful use of alcohol, defined according to the national context as alcohol per capita consumption (aged 15 years and older) within a calendar year in litres of pure alcohol

Percent of US persons 12 years of age and older reporting current heavy alcohol consumption

dimension2007200820092010201120122013201420152016
1. Series6.86.3

Percent of US persons 12 years of age and older reporting current heavy alcohol consumption

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Global Metadata

This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the United Nations Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata documentation on all indicators in Goal 3, unless otherwise noted, is provided by the UN Statistics Division.

See UN metadata for 3.5.2

SDG Indicator Name Harmful use of alcohol, defined according to the national context as alcohol per capita consumption (aged 15 years and older) within a calendar year in litres of pure alcohol
SDG Target Addressed Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol.
Definition of SDG Indicator
UN Designated Tier 1
UN Custodial Agency WHO

U.S. Metadata

This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from U.S. statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from U.S. statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other US-specific metadata information

Method of computation for global SDG indicator
Graph Title Percent of US persons 12 years of age and older reporting current heavy alcohol consumption
Actual indicator available Percent of persons 12 years of age and older reporting current binge alcohol consumption; Percent of persons 12 years of age and older reporting current heavy alcohol consumption.
Description of actual indicator available Current_binge_alcohol is defined as drinking five or more drinks (for males) and four or more drinks (for females) on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple hours of each other) on at least 1 day in the past 30 days (past month). Current_heavy_alcohol is defined as binge drinking on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days (past month). All current (past month) heavy alcohol users are also current (past month) binge alcohol users.
Method of computation The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is an annual survey of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States aged 12 years old or older. The survey covers residents of households and individuals in noninstitutional group quarters (e.g., shelters, boarding houses, college dormitories, migratory workers' camps, halfway houses). The survey excludes people with no fixed address (e.g., homeless people not in shelters), military personnel on active duty, and residents of institutional group quarters, such as jails, nursing homes, mental institutions, and long-term care hospitals. The NSDUH employs a stratified multistage area probability sample that is designed to be representative of both the nation as a whole and for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Comments and limitations The 2015 and 2016 NSDUH binge alcohol and heavy alcohol use data are not comparable to prior survey years (2002-2014 NSDUH) due to methodological changes, including changing the definition begininning in 2015 for females from five to four drinks. See NSDUH Methodological Resource Books (MRB) for detailed description of each annaual NSDUH survey (https://www.samhsa.gov/data/population-data-nsduh/reports?tab=39).
Periodicity The NSDUH is an annual data collection with data collection occurring continuously from early January through late December.
Time Period 2015 and 2016. Comparable 2002-2014 NSDUH data are not available.
Unit of measure Current (past month or past 30 days) binge alcohol and heavy alcohol use data. The 30 days reference the date of interview completed through the annual NSDUH data collection.
Disaggregation #1 (Industry or social categories)
Disaggregation #2 (Geographical coverage)
Date of public data release from National source September 2017
Date of last Update of This Page 2017-10-10
Scheduled Update by National source Results from the 2017 NSDUH are scheduled for release by September 2018.
Scheduled Update by SDG Team
Data Source1 (Agency STAFF NAME) Peter Tice
Data Source2 (Staff E-MAIL) peter.tice@samhsa.hhs.gov
Data Source3 (Agency/Survey/Dataset name) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)/National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
Indicator web address (closest to data provided) https://www.samhsa.gov/data/population-data-nsduh/reports
International and National References