Identifying the alcohol problem

High-risk alcohol users can function in their everyday lives. They may have a job, a relationship, friends and a good financial situation. A high-risk user does not drink every day, perhaps not even every week, but it is heavy and binge drinking. On the other hand, high-risk consumption may also involve drinking smaller amounts several days a week.

Harmful use of alcohol may cause health hazards and accidents. Relationships can also suffer. People will already suffer from physical and psychological adverse effects, but they are not alcohol-dependent.

Alcohol-dependence or alcoholism refers to a disease in which a person repeatedly and compulsively drinks alcohol regardless of the disadvantages. Drinking weakens health and may break relationships. People suffering from alcoholism will have a tolerance to alcohol, which means that they can drink more without it having the same effect as on moderate drinkers. 

When alcohol consumption involves alcohol-dependence, people will suffer from physical and mental withdrawal symptoms without access to alcohol. Even an alcohol-dependent does not necessarily drink every day. After breaks, however, drinking becomes compulsive and copious, and its aim is to become intoxicated.

In severe alcohol-dependence, people are mentally and physically so dependent on alcohol that they are unable to stop drinking. Stopping their alcohol consumption may even be fatal without professional help.

In Finland, approximately 20 per cent of all men who consume alcohol and 10 per cent of all women who consume alcohol will consume it up to or over the risk threshold during one week.

In other words, 20% of men who consume alcohol have some type of problem with alcohol, and this is also true for 10% of women. However, few people, men in particular, consider their own alcohol consumption to be abnormally high.  

Sometimes, excessive alcohol consumption also involves the use of other intoxicants or the simultaneous use of medicinal products. Check the product fiche of the medicine or the pharmacy for any side effects caused by the simultaneous use of the medicine and alcohol.

Combined use of the most common medicines and alcohol - Addictionlink.fiOpens in a new window.  

Are you aware of these details on medicines and alcohol? Guide for elderly people (in Finnish, pdf) – Ehyt.fiOpens in a new window.

Alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of developing various diseases. Excessive single doses expose you to accidents and violence. 

For more information on the adverse health effects of alcohol, see AddictionlinkOpens in a new window..

People who drink a lot are on sick leave more often than others because of the health hazards caused by using alcohol. Absences are also caused by hangovers and situations where they have not been able to stop drinking.

The problematic use of alcohol may make working difficult and slow it down, even if there are no sick leaves. Colleagues may react to another person’s alcohol consumption by stressing, worrying and becoming anxious, for example because their workload increases.

Those who have problems with alcohol are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than moderate users. Even if large amounts of alcohol were consumed in order to avoid troubling matters or to numb feelings of anxiety, the effect is usually the opposite and the problems only get worse.  

Excessive drinking may affect relationships already in single occasions. Long-term abundant alcohol consumption particularly erodes close relationships.

For healthy, working-age adults, the risk limits for alcohol consumption are as follows:

• The moderate risk level is 7 units of alcohol per week for women and 14 units per week for men. 
• The high-risk level is 23–24 units for men and 12–16 units for women per week.
• On a single occasion, the risk threshold is exceeded at 5 units for women and 7 units for men. 

These doses apply to healthy people under 65 years of age. For older people, people in poor physical condition or physically small people, the risk thresholds are lower. Risk levels in general are indicative, as individual differences between people affect their risks.

Remember that risk thresholds are not safety limits according to which one could consider one's alcohol consumption harm-free. 

• Attention should be paid to alcohol use even when the moderate risk limit is exceeded.
• The high-risk dose levels, on the other hand, are the alarm limit, after which drinking causes serious health hazards and the drinking habits should change.

You can find more detailed information on the risk thresholds for alcohol consumption at Addictionlink (in Finnish).Opens in a new window.

You can find information on ageing and substance use on Sininauhaliitto's website (in Finnish).Opens in a new window.

You can evaluate your own alcohol consumption by taking various tests. Some tests help you assess how drinking affects your life.

• Tests for alcohol consumption (in Finnish and Swedish) - Päihdelinkki.fiOpens in a new window.
• Alcohol consumption counters - Päihdelinkki.fiOpens in a new window.
•  An easy-read AUDIT C test (PDF in Finnish, pdf) - EHYT ryOpens in a new window.