24 hours

@NeverSleeps: I didn't say everybody who drinks will end up an alcoholic. I said that those who are prone to it will stand a greater chance of going in that direction. I have heard of cases where some people took up drinking and before too long they became alcoholics. So it does happen.

My friends from college and I always used to say we were "alcoholists" not "alcoholics." It was a movement: not a problem. :)

@NeverSleeps: You should attend an AA meeting sometime. You would hear many stories of people, who thought they could handle a couple of drinks, but ended up getting drunk, only to discover that they turned into alcoholics. So yes, lots of drinking can often lead to alcoholism. I did not say one or two drinks does. I said a lot of heavy drinking does.

@JenMac: Alcoholism is not a movement, It is often a disease that often skips generations. But is passed on from one family member to another. You can be born with the trait of alcoholism and not know it until you reached a certain time in your life when you suddenly start craving alcohol on a daily basis. You basically can't live without it.

People in AA meetings are alcoholics!!! I'm not saying it doesn't happen - I'm saying it doesn't happen to everyone who picks up an alcoholic beverage. I'm saying that "often" is an overstatement. You said it often leads to alcoholism... jeez: "Drinking often leads to alcoholism, especially for those who are prone to it, or have the disease of alcoholism."

But anyway... I'm tired of arguing such a boring point. I said from the beginning I wasn't denying there is a such thing as alcoholism.. just that it's not rampant. I'm done.

Dang, how did my innocent thread turn into a debate about the prevalence of alcoholism? This says that most drinkers in America are moderate or occasional drinkers: http://www.acde.org/common/Alcohol.htm

It also says that there are about 10 to 15 million alcoholics in the US, about 4.5 of which are young people. Apparently alcohol is the leading killer of people between 15 and 24 years of age in the US. Who knew...

So, okay. That study says half of the US population ages 12 and up are drinkers. What's that, about 100m people or so (as a really sketchy estimate)? So about 8 to10 per cent of drinkers have an issue then? I don't know if that's substantial or not, honestly.

hhusted: I was making a joke, or referring to a joke I made in college, rather. I am well aware of what constitutes an alcoholic as well as any other chemical dependancy, gambling addiction, narcissism, bi-polar manic depression, and so on and so on. You aren't the only one in this forum with an interest / education in behavioral studies.