Alcohol Assessment Tool Open in Microsoft Word
This is a self-assessment tool based on the World Health Organization's (WHO) Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tool (AUDIT). The key objective of the AUDIT is to screen for excessive drinking.It can also assist you in identifying if you are drinking at levels considered hazardous or harmful and whether you would benefit from reducing or ceasing your alcohol use, and/or potentially seeking professional assistance.
Please note that this tool should be considered as a guide only and if you have any concerns, please contact your general practitioner or Directline. They offer confidential counselling and support for alcohol and other drug issues on 1800 888 236. Their website address is http://www.health.vic.gov.au/
The following questions relate to your patterns of alcohol use and the extent to which it may be a cause of concern. Mark your answers and follow the scoring instructions below. This tool can also be printed (PDF format)and downloaded as an interactiveexcel documentat the bottom of this page.
In the questions, a "drink" refers to a standard drink which is defined as containing 10 grams of pure alcohol. Each of the alcoholic drinks in the following table is equal to approximately one standard drink. As thereis a large range of alcoholic beverages of varying strengths available, it is important to always read the label and check how many standard drinks your beverage contains.
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285ml Pot of full strength beer
(4.9% Alc./Vol) |
375ml Mid Strength Beer
(3.5% Alc./Vol) |
30ml
Spirit Nip
(40% Alc./Vol) |
30ml Alcoholic Shot
(40% Alc./Vol) |
100ml Small serve of wine
(12% Alc./Vol) |
1. How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
Never (0) Monthly or less (1) 2 to 4 times a month (2) 2 to 3 times a week (3) 4 or more times a week(4) Score …
2. How many drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?
None (0) 1 or 2 (1) 3 or 4 (2) 5 or 6 (3) 7 to 9 (4) 10 or more (5)Score …
3. How often do you have six or more drinks on one occasion?
Never (0) Less than monthly (1) Monthly (2) Weekly (3)Daily or almost daily (4)Score …
4. How often during the last year have you found that you were unable to stop drinking once you had started?
Never (0) Less than monthly (1) Monthly (2) Weekly (3) Daily or almost daily (4)Score …
5. How often during the last year have you failed to do what was normally expected from you because of drinking? (e.g. go to work)
Never (0) Less than monthly (1) Monthly (2) Weekly (3)Daily or almost daily (4)Score …
6. How often during the last year have you needed a first drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session?
Never (0) Less than monthly (1) Monthly (2) Weekly (3) Daily or almost daily (4) Score …
7. How often during the last year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?
Never (0) Less than monthly (1) Monthly (2) Weekly (3) Daily or almost daily (4) Score …
8. How often during the last year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking?
Never (0) Less than monthly (1) Monthly (2) Weekly (3) Daily or almost daily (4) Score …
9. Have you or someone else been injured as a result of your drinking?
Never (0) Less than monthly (1) Monthly (2) Weekly (3)Daily or almost daily (4) Score …
10. Has a relative, friend, doctor, health worker or co-worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested you cut down?
Never (0) Less than monthly (1) Monthly (2) Weekly (3)Daily or almost daily (4) Score …
Scoring and interpretation. Add your score for all 10 questions.
A total score of 8 or more may indicate hazardous or harmful drinking levels, and possibly alcohol dependence.
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More specifically, if you scored: Less than 8 points
Based on your answers, it appears that you are drinking at levels considered to have a low risk of alcohol-related problems. |
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8–15 points
Based on your answers, you are at medium risk of drinking at levels that are hazardous. This indicates that you may wish to monitor your drinking levels and, where necessary, think about reducing your drinking to low-risk levels. |
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16–19 points
Based on your answers, you appear to be drinking at levels considered to be hazardous and harmful. This indicates that you should closely monitor your drinking levels and consider seeking help. |
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20 points or above
Based on your answers, you appear to be drinking at levels considered to be hazardous and harmful.You may be experiencing some symptoms of dependence. This indicates that consumption of alcohol may be a serious problem for you. You may consider seeking professional assistance. |
More information on answers to specific questions:
A score of 1 or more on Question 1, 2 or 3 indicates hazardous consumption and harmful use. Alcohol may be causing serious damage to your health.Alcohol may be impacting on certain areas of your life (for example work).
Points scored above 0 on Questions 4–6 (especially weekly or daily symptoms) indicate the presence of alcohol dependence, which suggests alcohol is impacting negatively on your life.
Points scored on Questions 7–10 indicates that alcohol-related harm is already being experienced, which has the possibility of having a damaging impact on your life.
What should I do? If you are concerned about your score from this tool or you are concerned that alcohol is impacting negatively on your life (for example family or work), you may wish to consider cutting down your alcohol use or talking to a professional.
For telephone counselling, support and referral in Victoria, contact DirectLine on 1800 888 236.
