Study: Majority of heavy drinkers are not alcoholics

Despite what many may believe, only 10 percent of U.S. adults who drink more than most are alcoholics, according to a federal study released on Thursday.

The government surveyed 138,100 adults and found that nine out of 10 people who drink too much are not addicts, and can change their behavior with a little - or perhaps a lot of - prompting.

"Many people tend to equate excessive drinking with alcohol dependence,'' sad Dr. Robert Brewer, who leads the alcohol program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We need to think about other strategies to address these people who are drinking too much but who are not addicted to alcohol."

Dr. Brewer says that it is actually common for people to drink casually, but that does not mean that we should assume that drinking regularly (and excessively) is "safe" even though it might be acceptable.

"Anybody who takes from this paper that excessive drinking is not dangerous unless you are dependent is simply not getting the message, which is that drinking too much is bad, period. [However] the great preponderance of people who are drinking too much are not candidates for specialized treatment but they can be helped in other ways."

According to the study, signs of alcoholism include an inability to stop or reduce drinking, continuing to drink even after it causes problems with family or work, and excessive time spent drinking each day.

"I don't want to minimize the fact that excessive drinking can be difficult behavior to change even in those people who are not alcohol dependent. So many of the cues people get about drinking behavior in our society are confusing. People think drinking to get drunk is part of having a good time," added Dr. Brewer.