title: Problem alcohol use in young Australian adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the extent to which excessive drinking in young adults is associated with alcohol abuse and dependence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using data from the eighth wave of the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study, which comprised 1943 Victorians currently aged 24-25 years drawn from 44 secondary schools across the state in 1992. The main outcome measures of interest were short-term risk drinking status (based on daily alcohol consumption) and long-term risk drinking status (based on total weekly alcohol consumption).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two out of 5 participants drank at moderate to high risk levels for short-term harm. Yet, because young people tend to drink on only 1-2 days a week, fewer (22%) were at moderate to high risk for long-term harm. Although 20% of the participants met criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence, most of those in the moderate- to high-risk drinking categories were not diagnosed with either alcohol disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Excessive alcohol use in one or two sessions a week appears to be common in young Australian adults. While short- and long-term risky drinking is more common in those with an alcohol use disorder, the majority of moderate- and high-risk drinking is done by those who do not meet criteria for an alcohol use disorder.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Adolescent Health, 2 Gatehouse Street, Parkville, Vic. 3052, Australia. sophie.reid@mcri.edu.au
authors.forename: Sophie C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Obioha C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Ukoumunne
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coffey
authors.forename: Maree
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teesson
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Carlin
authors.forename: George C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Patton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014739:Victoria