SBIRT
Drinking and Your Health
MT SBIRT Project
Healthcare Role
Alcohol Screening
Brief Intervention
Referral Sources
Additional Resources
Most of us don’t have a clear picture of how alcohol can impact our lives and our health.
You don’t have to be an alcoholic to be at risk for alcohol-related health problems. Excessive drinking is dangerous to your health. To better understand your risks, consider:
Excessive drinking is defined as
For Men:
· 5 or more drinks in a short period of time, such as a 2 hour period or
· More than 14 drinks in a week
For Women:
· 4 or more drinks in a short period of time, such as a 2 hour period, or
· More than 7 drinks in a week
A standard drink contains 14 grams of pure alcohol or:
| 12 oz Beer | 5 oz. wine | 1.5 oz. liquor |
 |
 |
 |
Excessive drinking can increase the risk of many health-related issues such as:
| * | Cirrhosis (scaring of the liver) |
* | Weakened immune system |
| * | Hepatitis | * | Accidents & Injuries |
| * | Osteoporosis | * | Depression |
| * | Enlarged Heart or Weakened Heart Muscle | * | Suicide |
| * | Cancer | * | Memory Loss |
| * | Hypertension |
- Committing or being the victim of violence
- Arrest for DUI & loss of your driver’s license
- Loss of your job or work performance
- Damage or loss of personal relationships
It is safest to avoid alcohol altogether if you
- Will be driving or operating heavy equipment
- Are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
- Have a personal or family history of alcohol, drug dependence or depression
- Are taking prescription medications
- Are caring for children or others
- Are under the legal drinking age (21)
Check the box next to your answer to each question. Write your score for each question in the SCORE column and add up the total.
| Over the past 12 months | 0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
SCORE |
| How often have you had a drink that contained alcohol | Never |
Monthly or less |
2-4 times a month |
2-3 times a week |
4 or more times a week |
|
| On a typical drinking day, how many drinks did you have? | 1 or 2 |
3 or 4 |
5 or 6 |
7 to 9 |
10 or more |
|
| How often did you have 6 or more drinks on one occasion | Never |
Less than monthly |
Monthly |
Weekly |
Daily or almost daily |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Score |
|
- Your drinking could be harmful if your total score is:
- 3 or higher for women and people age 65 and older
- 4 or higher for men
- Keep Track of how much you drink.
- Measure the drinks you consume so you can accurately count your drinks.
- Set goals on how many days a week you want to drink and how many drinks you’ll have on those days.
- Pace and space your drinks by sipping slowly and have no more than one drink per hour.
- Include food by not drinking on an empty stomach.
- Avoid “triggers” that urge you to drink by planning what you’ll do instead of drinking.
- Say No when you’re offered a drink when you don’t want one.
Referrals
