Table 1 Terms used to describe problem alcohol use

Hazardous drinking

A pattern of alcohol consumption that increases someone’s risk of harm (WHO) [66]

Increasing risk drinking

An alternative term for hazardous drinking, mainly used in the UK, defined as ‘Regularly consuming between 21 and 50 units a week for men and between 14 and 35 units a week for women’, [67] with a unit being equivalent to 8 g of pure alcohol. [68]

Harmful drinking

A pattern of alcohol consumption that is causing mental or physical damage (WHO) [66]

Dependent drinking

A cluster of behavioural, cognitive and physiological factors that typically include a strong desire to drink alcohol and difficulties in controlling its use. [67]

Higher risk drinking

An alternative term for harmful and dependent drinking, defined as ‘Regularly consuming over 50 alcohol units per week for men or over 35 units per week for women’. [67]