Adult Alcohol Use
Date Posted: 02/21/2008
Quick Data Links
The following data are collected and reported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The Colorado Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is an ongoing statewide telephone survey designed to monitor the prevalence of health behaviors and preventive health practices associated with the leading causes of disease, disability, and premature death. To compensate for the relatively low number of surveys completed each year, two years of data are combined to produce estimates.
What this chart shows: Adult Chronic Drinking
Data Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment-COHID- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
What these data tell us:
Chronic drinking is defined as consuming 60 or more drinks in the past month. Although the Larimer County rate was in general consistently higher than the State's between 1996 and 2003, this difference was not statistically significant. In addition, the increase in 2000-2003 may be partially due to a change in the definition of chronic drinking for women to 30 drinks per month versus 60. A slight decrease was recorded for the 2004-2005 data sets.What this chart shows: Adult Binge Drinking
Data Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
What these data tell us:
Binge drinking is defined as having had five or more alcoholic beverages on one or more occasions in the past month. Although Larimer County had a consistently higher percentage of residents who binge drink than Colorado residents, the difference is statically insignificant. In 2000-2001, 27% of Larimer County males versus 12% of females reported binge drinking. Throughout the survey data from 1994-2005, the amount of binge drinking has remained relatively stable.What this chart shows: Adult Driving after Drinking
Data Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
What these data tell us:
Survey respondents were asked how many times they have driven in the past month after perhaps having had too much to drink.The percentages above represent the rate of respondents who answered 'one or more times'. In 1998-1999, the Larimer County rate increased substantially (1996-97 had 1 person out of 117 who reported having driven after drinking, 1998-99 had 6 survey respondents out of 99). Data were not collected for this measure in 2000-2001 making it difficult to determine if there was an increase or decrease for 2002-2003. In the last data set for 2004-2005, though there is a slight increase present, respondents were surveyed in 2004 only.
Additional Information:
On Compass -
- Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities
- Adult Arrests
- Perinatal Alcohol and Tobacco Use
- Larimer County 2003 - Current Issues in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Funding
- Youth Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use
Outside Compass -
- Alcohol and Public Health - Effects of alcohol use from the CDC
- Quantity and Frequency of Alcohol Use - National Survey
- SAMHSA-Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Standards or Targets:
Healthy People 2010 Objectives:
26-13. Reduce the proportion of adults who exceed guidelines for low-risk drinking.
- Reduce both males and females who exceed guidelines to 50% (reduce chronic drinking).
26-11. Reduce the proportion of persons engaging in binge drinking of alcoholic beverages.
- Reduction in Students Engaging in Binge Drinking During Past 2 Weeks: 2010 target for high school seniors is 11% or fewer. Among college students, reduce to 20% or fewer.
- Reduction in Adults and Adolescents Engaging in Binge Drinking During Past Month-reduce to 6% for adults and 2% for adolescents.
|
1994-1995 |
1996-1997 |
1998-1999 |
2000-2001 |
2002-2003 |
2004-2005 |
|||||||
|
# |
% |
# |
% |
# |
% |
# |
% |
# |
% |
# |
% |
|
|
Colorado |
103 |
5.7% |
66 |
3.5% |
185 |
5.7% |
126 |
5.6% |
501 |
6.4% |
585 |
4.9% |
|
Larimer County |
5 |
4.7% |
6 |
4.7% |
7 |
7.7% |
10 |
6.5% |
35 |
6.7% |
35 |
5.6% |
|
1994-1995 |
1996-1997 |
1998-1999 |
2000-2001 |
2002-2003 |
2004-2005 |
|||||||
|
# |
% |
# |
% |
# |
% |
# |
% |
# |
% |
# |
% |
|
|
Colorado |
301 |
16.4% |
250 |
15.3% |
509 |
17.2% |
322 |
17.8% |
1,216 |
18.3% |
1,556 |
16.6% |
|
Larimer County |
21 |
15.9% |
14 |
15.6% |
16 |
20.0% |
26 |
19.6% |
90 |
20.9% |
84 |
16.7% |
|
1994-1995 |
1996-1997 |
1998-1999 |
2000-2001 |
2002-2003 |
2004-2005 |
|||||||
|
# |
% |
# |
% |
# |
% |
# |
% |
# |
% |
# |
% |
|
|
Colorado |
61 |
3.1% |
43 |
2.6% |
99 |
3.6% |
n/a* |
n/a* |
83 |
2.6% |
126 |
3.4% |
|
Larimer County |
2 |
1.5% |
1 |
1.4% |
6 |
7.5% |
n/a* |
n/a* |
9 |
2.9% |
7 |
3.7% |
*Data was not available.