Alcohol & Smoking
Did you know?
About 20% of smokers are considered “heavy” drinkers compared to about 7% of non-smokers
Heavy drinking is defined as...
- Men: More than 4 drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks in a week
- Women: More than 3 drinks on any day or more than 7 drinks in a week
Drinking interferes with quitting smoking
- 4 out of 10 heavy drinkers who try to quit smoking slip back to smoking when they are drinking alcohol
- Heavy drinkers are much more likely to have a slip and smoke on a drinking day compared to a non-drinking day.
What's Your Drinking Pattern?
Many people are surprised to learn what counts as a “standard” drink. Although the drinks below are different sizes, each one has about the same amount of alcohol and counts as a “standard” drink.
12 fl oz of regular beer
=
8-9 fl oz of malt liquor (shown in a 12-oz glass)
=
5 fl oz of table wine
=
3-4 fl oz of fortified wine
(such as sherry or port; 3.5 oz shown)
=
2-3 fl oz of cordial, liqueur, or aperitif
(2.5 oz shown)
=
1.5 fl oz of brandy or cognac (a single jigger or shot)
=
1.5 fl oz shot of 80 proof distilled spirits
How does YOUR drinking compare to that of other adults?
The chart below shows the average number of alcoholic drinks consumed per week for men in the US.
What's next?
- The Risks of Heavy Drinking
- Benefits of Changing Drinking
- Make a Plan to Manage Drinking
- Alcohol and Staying Quit