In principle, a variety of indicator variables could be used to capture the frequency and intensity of heavy drinking episodes, shown to be important determinants of alcohol-related health and social problems (Rehm, et al., 2006; Room, et al., 1995). The frequency of drinking five or more drinks on a single occasion or day is a widely used measure of heavy episodic drinking (HED). Alternatively, the frequency of subjective drunkenness provides information not captured by other drinking pattern measures (Greenfield and Kerr, 2008), and has been shown in several general population studies to be a better predictor of alcohol problems than the frequency of HED (Midanik, 1999). A third measure of heavy drinking, the maximum amount drank on any given day in the past year is considered to improve prediction of alcohol problems such as drunk driving, injury and criminal behavior (Greenfield, et al., 2006).
