Patients were asked an abbreviated version of the Graduated Frequency series of questions [18], which obtains data, for the last year, on the frequency of drinking any alcoholic beverage, and the frequency, separately of consuming 12 or more drinks in a day, and 5 or more but less than 12 in a day. Patients were also asked their usual number of drinks and the frequency of drunkenness during the last year. The frequency of 12 or more drinks, 5 or more drinks and drunkenness ranged from every day, nearly every day, 3 or 4 times a week, once or twice a week, 2-3 times a month, about once a month, 6-11 times a year, 1-5 times a year and to never during the last 12 months. Different cut-points for these frequency options were used for males and females. Heavy drinking measures to be considered as candidate measures in each of the analyses include usual quantity of at least 5+/4+ drinks per occasion for men/women, 12+ drinks monthly/any for men/women, 5+ drinks weekly/monthly for men/women, drunkenness weekly/monthly for men/women.
