AUDIT-C

Brief alcohol-consumption screen — three items, 0–12
Sex
How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
How many standard drinks on a typical day when you are drinking?
How often do you have 6 or more drinks on one occasion?
Answer all three questions to calculate
Evidence
Original publication
Bush K, Kivlahan DR, McDonell MB, Fihn SD, Bradley KA. The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C): an effective brief screening test for problem drinking. The first three AUDIT items (frequency, typical quantity, frequency of heavy episodes), each 0–4, performed comparably to the full AUDIT for detecting heavy drinking and active alcohol use disorder.
Archives of Internal Medicine, 1998
Open source
Guideline
Widely used in primary care and the VA. Common cut-points: ≥ 4 for men and ≥ 3 for women identify unhealthy alcohol use; ≥ 8 suggests a high-risk drinking pattern or dependence. A positive screen should prompt a brief assessment and, where indicated, a brief intervention.
Last reviewed: 2026-09
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