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The current preoccupation with opioid misuse could eclipse another, more widespread, epidemic: alcohol misuse. In two nationally representative surveys of U.S. households (conducted in 2001–2002 and 2012–2013), interviewers obtained information about past-year alcohol use, high-risk drinking (≥4 drinks on any day at least weekly for women, ≥5 drinks for men), and prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) as defined in DSM-IV.
During the 10 years between surveys, prevalence of alcohol use grew from 65% to 73% (an increase of 11%), rates of high-risk drinking increased from 10% to 13% (by 30%), AUD diagnoses increased from 9% to 13% (by 50%), and AUD among high-risk drinkers escalated from 47% to 55% (by 17%). These increases rose more steeply …