Frequency of heavy episodic drinking (HED) was measured at each assessment by asking, “How often did you have five or more drinks in 24 hours during the last 12 months?” Responses included 13 options ranging from “never” to “every day,” which were converted into frequencies by taking the midpoint of each response option. For example, the responses “every day” and “two days per week (100–149 days)” corresponded to 365 and 124.5 days per year, respectively. Those who reported they did not drink during the past year were coded as zero.
