Key Terms

The rate at which a disease occurs in the general population.

Description: “Absolute risk refers to the rate at which a disease (or mortality from that disease) occurs in the general population. Absolute risk is expressed as the number of cases in a specific group within a specific time period (for example, 50 cases of a given disease per 100,000 Americans occur annually) or as a cumulative risk up to a certain age.”

See also: Relative Risk.

Source: NIAAA-NIH. (2022). Measuring the Health Risks and Benefits of Alcohol. Retrieved from https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/10report/chap01a.pdf. Accessed on December 2, 2022.

Last Updated on December 3rd, 2023

Percentage of alcohol (ethanol) in a beverage.

Description: “Alcohol by volume (ABV) refers to the strength of the alcoholic beverage.”

Source: CDC (2022). Drink Less, Be Your Best. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/drinklessbeyourbest/excessivedrinking.html. Accessed on December 2, 2022.

Last Updated December 31st, 2023

When a person suffers from uncontrolled and problematic drinking, commonly known as alcoholism.

Description: “Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. It encompasses the conditions that some people refer to as alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction, and the colloquial term, alcoholism. Considered a brain disorder, AUD can be mild, moderate, or severe.”

Source: NIAAA-NIH (2022). What Is Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)? Retrieved from link. Assessed on December 2, 2022; NIH (2022). Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder. Retrieved from link. Accessed on December 2, 2022.

Last Updated January 2nd, 2024

Rate of deaths from all causes within a population.

Description: “All-cause mortality is the death rate from all causes of death for a population in a given time period.”

Source: Alaska Native Epidemiology Center (2022). State Data, All-Cause Mortality. Retrieved from link. Accessed on December 2, 2022.

The percent of alcohol in a person’s bloodstream.

Description: “Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) refers to the percent of alcohol (ethyl alcohol or ethanol) in a person’s blood stream. A BAC of .10% means that an individual’s blood supply contains one part alcohol for every 1000 parts blood.”

Source: Stanford Vaden Health Services (2022). What Is Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)? Retrieved from link. Accessed on December 2, 2022.

A fermented beverage that is brewed or producted from malt.

Description: “Beer, ale, porter, stout, and other similar fermented beverages (including saké and similar products) of any name or description containing one-half of one percent or more of alcohol by volume, brewed or produced from malt, wholly or in part, or from any substitute for malt.”

Source: Tax and Trade Bureau, 27 C.F.R. § 25.11 Meaning of terms (2022). Retrieved from link. Assessed on December 6, 2022.

Consuming 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or more drinks (female), in an occasion.

Definition: “Binge drinking is defined as consuming 5 or more drinks on an occasion for men or 4 or more drinks on an occasion for women.”

Source: CDC, Alcohol and Public Health (2022). Binge Drinking. Retrieved from link. Accessed on December 2, 2022.

The federal government’s dietary recommendations, which are updated every 5 years and are the foundation nutrition policy and programs in the U.S.

Definition: “Jointly published by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) every five years, the [U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans] provide science-based recommendations designed to foster healthy dietary patterns for Americans of all ages – from birth through older adults. Importantly, [the 2020-2025 edition] expands the guidance, for the first time including recommended healthy dietary patterns for infants and toddlers.”

Source:  U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. (2022). Retrieved from link. Accessed December 2, 2022.

Last Updated January 7th, 2024

Alcohol produced through the process of distillation intended for human consumption.

Definition: “Ethyl alcohol, hydrated oxide of ethyl, spirits of wine, whisky, rum, brandy, gin, and other distilled spirits, including all dilutions and mixtures thereof, for nonindustrial use. The term “distilled spirits” does not include mixtures containing wine, bottled at 48 degrees of proof (24 percent alcohol by volume) or less, if the mixture contains more than 50 percent wine on a proof gallon basis. The term “distilled spirits” also does not include products containing less than one degree of proof (0.5 percent alcohol by volume).”

Source: Tax and Trade Bureau, 27 C.F.R. § 5.1 (2022). Part 5 – Labeling and Advertising of Distilled Spirits, Subpart A – General Provisions, § 5.1 Definitions. Retrieved from link. Accessed December 2, 2022.

Ethanol (also known as alcohol) is an organic compound that is naturally produced through the fermentation process.

Definition: “Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is an intoxicating ingredient found in beer, wine, and liquor. Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of yeast, sugars, and starches.”

Source: CDC, Frequently Asked Questions (2022). Retrieved from link. Accessed December 2, 2022.

A relationship between two variables (e.g., a behavior and an outcome) that is shaped like the letter J, instead of a straight line, when illustrated by a graph.

Definition: “The accepted interpretation of the J-shaped curve relating alcohol intake to mortality or coronary heart disease is that the lowest point on the curve (light/moderate drinking) represents optimum exposure to alcohol and that the increased risk in non-drinkers reflects the consequence of sub-optimum exposure.” OR “A general consensus that people consuming one to two standard drinks per day appear to have a lower cardiovascular event rate than persons abstaining from alcohol; a relationship described as a J-shaped (or U-shaped) curve.”

Source:  Medical Journal of Australia, J-curve revisited: cardiovascular benefits of moderate alcohol use cannot be dismissed (2022). Retrieved from link. Accessed December 5, 2022.

Source: NIH National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information, (2022). Retrieved from link. Accessed December 5, 2022.

Source:  Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Alcohol and Health: Praise of the J Curves (2022). Retrieved from link. Accessed December 5, 2022.

An alcohol, non-alcohol, or alcohol-free beverage produced by fermentation of an infusion or decoction, or combination of both, in potable brewing water, of malted barley and hops (or their parts or products).

Definition: “A beverage made by the alcoholic fermentation of an infusion or decoction, or combination of both, in potable brewing water, of malted barley with hops, or their parts, or their products, and with or without other malted cereals, and with or without the addition of unmalted or prepared cereals, other carbohydrates or products prepared therefrom, and with or without the addition of carbon dioxide, and with or without other wholesome products suitable for human food consumption.”

Source:  U.S. Tax and Trade Bureau, 27 U.S.C. § 7.1 (2022). Retrieved from link. Accessed December 5, 2022.

According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, moderate alcohol consumption is 2 drinks or less in a day for men and 1 drink or less in a day for women.

Definition: “Adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink, or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men and 1 drink or less in a day for women, when alcohol is consumed. Drinking less is better for health than drinking more.”

Source:  U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Key Recommendations (2022). Retrieved from link. Accessed December 5, 2022.

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A ratio of the probability of an event occurring in a non-exposed group.

Definition: “Relative risk is a ratio of the probability of an event occurring in the exposed group versus the probability of the event occurring in the non-exposed group.” OR “[R]elative risk…is used to define the strength of a relationship between a risk factor, such as alcohol intake, and the occurrence of disease. A relative risk of 1.0 is the benchmark against which risk factors or protective effects are measured. A relative risk of 1.0 therefore reflects the rate of occurrence of disease in the absence of any risk factor (for example, the frequency of a disease among abstainers).”

See also: Absolute Risk

Source: NIH National Library of Medicine, Relative Risk (2022). Retrieved from link. Accessed December 5, 2022.

Source: NIH, Measuring the Health Risks and Benefits of Alcohol, Chapter 1: Drinking Over the Life Span: Issues of Biology, Behavior, and Risk, (2022). Retrieved from link. Accessed December 5, 2022.

Ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages are drinks that are sold ready for consumption without further preparation (e.g., spiritzers, hard seltzers, and canned cocktails).

Definition: “Ready to drink” (RTD) refers to packaged beverages that are sold in a prepared form and are ready for consumption. Unlike traditional beverage mixes, powders, or brew-it-yourself tea or coffee products, ready-to-drink beverages can be immediately consumed upon purchase.” 

Source: MarketResearch.com, Ready to Drink Market Research Reports & Industry Analysis (2022) Retrieved from link. Accessed December 2, 2022.

According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, one standard drink contains 0.6oz of pure alcohol. Examples of standard drink equivalents include: 12oz regular beer (5% ABV), 5oz wine (12% ABV), or 1.5oz of 80 proof spirits (40% ABV).

Definition: “One alcoholic drink equivalent is defined as containing 14 grams (0.6 fl oz) of pure alcohol. The following count as one alcoholic drink equivalent: 12 fluid ounces of regular beer (5% alcohol), 5 fluid ounces of wine (12% alcohol), or 1.5 fluid ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits (40% alcohol).”

Source: U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Alcoholic Beverages (2022). Retrieved from link. Accessed December 5, 2022.

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