"A study by researchers at the NIAAA published in the June 2007 issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence investigated whether American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) alcohol abuse and dependence and consumption criteria
occurred along a continuum of severity. The study found that alcohol consumption was an integral component for determining the severity of alcohol use disorders. The researchers recommended incorporating alcohol consumption into future classifications of DSM
alcohol use disorders and identified the 5/4 measure of alcohol consumption as a suitable criterion."
"The National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) adopted the
5/4 definition of binge drinking where a "binge" is a pattern of drinking
alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 gram percent or above.
For the typical adult this pattern corresponds to consuming 5 or more drinks (male)
or 4 or more drinks (female) in about 2 hours. The annual Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance Survey coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has recommended changing its measure of binge drinking from a 5-drink standard
to a gender-specific measure of 5 drinks for males and 4 drinks for females.”
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