2021 BRFSS Survey Results: North Carolina

Alcohol Consumption

One drink is equivalent to a 12 ounce beer, a 5 ounce glass of wine, or a drink with one shot of liquor.
During the past 30 days, on the days when you drank, about how many drinks did you drink on the average?*

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  Total
Respond.^
Only one Two Three Four Five or more
N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%)
TOTAL 2,254 892 36.8 34.5-39.3 733 32.9 30.6-35.3 291 13.8 12.1-15.7 118 5.9 4.7- 7.4 220 10.6 9.1-12.3
GENDER
Male 1,204 376 28.4 25.5-31.6 390 31.5 28.5-34.8 192 17.5 14.9-20.4 78 7.5 5.7- 9.9 168 15.0 12.6-17.7
Female 1,050 516 46.7 43.0-50.4 343 34.5 31.0-38.1 99 9.5 7.6-11.7 40 4.0 2.7- 6.0 52 5.4 3.9- 7.3
RACE/ETHNICITY
Non-Hispanic White 1,592 631 37.3 34.6-40.2 536 33.1 30.4-35.9 209 13.5 11.7-15.7 76 5.3 4.0- 7.1 140 10.7 8.9-12.8
Non-Hispanic Black 320 142 40.1 33.8-46.8 103 32.9 26.9-39.5 39 14.2 9.9-19.9 17 6.4 3.5-11.6 19 6.4 3.6-11.3
Non-Hispanic Am Indian 45 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Non-Hispanic Multiracial 31 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Non-Hispanic Other 42 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Hispanic 196 59 31.3 23.4-40.5 48 25.8 18.1-35.3 25 14.3 9.1-21.8 13 6.9 3.7-12.3 51 21.7 15.8-29.0
AGE
18-34 563 139 26.4 22.3-31.0 191 32.2 27.8-36.9 103 18.6 15.1-22.8 45 8.7 6.1-12.3 85 14.0 11.1-17.6
35-44 414 142 31.7 26.7-37.2 131 31.7 26.6-37.4 62 14.7 11.1-19.1 27 7.4 4.6-11.7 52 14.5 10.6-19.6
45-54 364 146 39.5 33.6-45.6 126 35.6 30.0-41.8 45 12.5 9.1-17.1 15 4.5 2.3- 8.3 32 7.9 5.2-11.7
55-64 385 164 40.3 34.7-46.3 126 36.2 30.6-42.2 48 12.3 8.7-17.0 22 4.5 2.8- 7.0 25 6.7 4.4-10.1
65-74 323 179 55.1 48.3-61.7 96 28.9 23.3-35.3 24 7.6 4.7-12.1 *** *** *** 18 6.8 4.0-11.3
75+ 167 107 65.8 56.9-73.8 48 26.5 19.6-34.8 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
EDUCATION
Less Than H.S. 117 30 20.3 13.3-29.7 *** *** *** 15 14.4 8.0-24.7 *** *** *** 34 24.5 16.6-34.6
H.S. or G.E.D. 409 128 31.3 26.2-36.9 133 32.6 27.5-38.2 60 15.4 11.6-20.1 29 7.3 4.7-10.9 59 13.4 9.9-18.0
Some Post-H.S. 568 223 37.9 33.4-42.7 170 31.2 26.8-35.9 87 15.0 11.9-18.8 34 6.5 4.3- 9.6 54 9.4 7.0-12.4
College Graduate 1,153 506 42.2 39.0-45.5 399 35.2 32.1-38.4 129 11.7 9.7-14.0 47 3.8 2.8- 5.2 72 7.2 5.6- 9.2
FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY
Yes 548 250 41.1 36.2-46.1 154 29.9 25.3-34.9 62 11.6 8.5-15.6 26 5.6 3.6- 8.7 56 11.9 8.8-15.9
No 1,689 635 35.4 32.7-38.2 574 34.0 31.3-36.8 227 14.4 12.5-16.6 91 6.0 4.6- 7.8 162 10.1 8.5-12.0
VETERAN STATUS
Veteran 327 134 38.5 32.3-45.1 104 30.3 24.6-36.6 44 12.3 8.8-16.8 19 7.9 4.3-14.3 26 11.0 6.9-17.2
Non-Veteran 1,919 755 36.5 34.0-39.2 626 33.4 30.8-36.0 246 14.0 12.2-16.1 98 5.6 4.4- 7.1 194 10.5 9.0-12.3
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employed or Self-Employed 1,473 503 32.2 29.4-35.1 489 33.5 30.7-36.5 220 15.5 13.4-17.9 91 6.4 5.0- 8.2 170 12.4 10.4-14.7
Unemployed 105 *** *** *** *** *** *** 14 12.6 6.3-23.4 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Retired 459 272 59.9 54.3-65.2 130 28.3 23.5-33.6 30 6.7 4.3-10.4 *** *** *** 19 3.8 2.3- 6.2
Unable to Work 78 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Other not in Labor Force 126 45 35.6 26.0-46.5 45 33.3 24.3-43.7 21 18.8 12.0-28.3 *** *** *** *** *** ***
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Less than $15,000 73 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
$15,000- 24,999 149 53 30.9 22.7-40.6 40 28.6 20.0-39.1 20 13.8 8.4-21.7 12 12.5 6.1-24.0 24 14.2 8.8-21.9
$25,000- 34,999 188 70 36.9 29.2-45.5 52 27.6 20.6-35.8 29 16.4 10.5-24.6 15 8.7 4.5-16.4 22 10.4 6.3-16.5
$35,000- 49,999 235 95 35.8 28.9-43.2 74 34.4 27.2-42.4 29 13.3 8.8-19.7 16 8.3 4.2-15.9 21 8.1 5.0-13.1
$50,000-74,999 310 129 38.9 32.5-45.7 98 33.5 27.3-40.3 40 12.5 8.9-17.2 19 6.0 3.5-10.2 24 9.0 5.7-14.0
$75,000-100,000 293 118 39.8 33.2-46.9 89 26.2 21.0-32.3 41 16.3 11.7-22.4 16 5.2 3.0- 8.9 29 12.4 8.4-18.0
$100,000-150,000 348 135 37.7 31.8-43.8 125 36.4 30.6-42.5 44 12.2 8.8-16.6 17 5.2 3.0- 8.8 27 8.6 5.4-13.4
$150,000+ 296 109 32.5 26.6-38.9 115 38.5 32.2-45.3 37 13.2 9.0-19.0 12 4.9 2.6- 8.8 23 10.9 6.8-17.2
Don't know/Not sure or Refused 362 159 40.0 34.0-46.3 114 31.4 25.9-37.5 39 13.4 9.3-18.9 *** *** *** 42 12.8 9.3-17.5
POVERTY LEVEL1
Less than 50% 32 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
50% to 100% 124 *** *** *** *** *** *** 16 14.1 7.2-25.7 *** *** *** 20 13.1 7.6-21.7
101% to 150% 141 50 35.0 26.3-45.0 46 31.1 22.8-40.7 22 17.3 10.7-26.8 *** *** *** 13 6.6 3.4-12.5
151% to 200% 164 57 31.9 24.3-40.6 49 33.0 24.5-42.7 26 15.9 10.4-23.4 11 8.1 4.0-15.6 21 11.1 6.8-17.5
More than 200% 1,418 567 37.4 34.5-40.5 476 33.7 30.8-36.7 182 13.1 11.2-15.4 75 5.6 4.3- 7.4 118 10.1 8.2-12.4
Don't know/Not sure or Refused 362 159 40.0 34.0-46.3 114 31.4 25.9-37.5 39 13.4 9.3-18.9 *** *** *** 42 12.8 9.3-17.5
HOUSING
Own 1,502 648 39.7 36.7-42.7 512 34.1 31.2-37.0 166 12.1 10.2-14.3 64 4.9 3.6- 6.7 112 9.3 7.5-11.4
Rent 625 198 28.7 24.7-33.0 186 31.2 26.9-35.9 108 18.7 15.1-22.9 45 8.5 5.9-12.1 88 12.9 10.1-16.4
Other arrangement 115 *** *** *** 29 22.9 15.1-33.1 17 14.3 8.3-23.5 *** *** *** 19 16.4 10.1-25.5
RURAL-URBAN RESIDENT2
Urban 836 304 34.4 30.7-38.2 302 38.0 34.0-42.0 112 13.8 11.1-16.9 42 4.8 3.4- 6.7 76 9.1 7.0-11.8
Regional City or Suburban County 642 269 38.0 33.6-42.6 201 30.4 26.4-34.8 73 12.9 10.0-16.5 41 8.2 5.5-12.1 58 10.5 7.8-13.9
Rural 776 319 38.9 34.8-43.3 230 28.7 24.9-32.7 106 14.8 11.9-18.1 35 5.0 3.4- 7.4 86 12.7 10.0-15.9
NC DEPT OF COMMERCE COUNTY TIER3
Most Distressed Counties (Tier 1) 445 171 33.4 28.2-38.9 129 26.8 22.1-32.1 56 14.6 10.8-19.4 29 9.5 5.7-15.3 60 15.7 11.6-20.9
Less Distressed Counties (Tier 2) 928 376 38.3 34.5-42.2 291 30.6 27.1-34.3 128 14.8 12.3-17.8 49 5.5 4.0- 7.6 84 10.8 8.5-13.6
Least Distressed Counties (Tier 3) 881 345 36.9 33.3-40.7 313 37.2 33.5-41.0 107 12.6 10.1-15.6 40 4.9 3.3- 7.1 76 8.4 6.5-10.8
CDC SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX4
1st Quartile - Least Vulnerable 811 317 37.0 33.1-41.1 281 35.5 31.7-39.5 104 13.8 11.1-16.9 43 6.1 4.3- 8.5 66 7.7 5.9-10.0
2nd Quartile 615 247 38.1 33.7-42.6 193 32.9 28.7-37.5 85 13.2 10.4-16.8 28 4.1 2.6- 6.5 62 11.6 8.9-15.1
3rd Quartile 643 251 35.1 30.9-39.6 208 30.3 26.2-34.8 83 14.8 11.7-18.6 38 8.1 5.3-12.1 63 11.7 8.8-15.4
4th Quartile - Most Vulnerable 185 77 36.0 27.6-45.4 51 28.4 20.5-37.9 19 12.6 7.1-21.3 *** *** *** 29 16.5 10.9-24.2

Back to Alcohol Consumption.

*This question was asked only of respondents who reported drinking at least one drink in the last month.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to changes in the weighting methodology and other factors, results from 2021 are NOT comparable to 2010
and earlier years.

***The estimate was suppressed because it did not meet statistical reliability standards. See BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for more details.

1Based on 2021 U.S Census Bureau poverty threshold incomes. Please see the BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

2Based on U.S Census Bureau population estimates at the county level. Please see the BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

3NC Dept. of Commerce County Tier Classification, based on respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

4Quartile of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index
(https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/index.html) for respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

^Use caution in interpreting cell sizes less than 50, % = Percentage, C.I.(95%) = Confidence Interval (at 95 percent probability level).
Percentages are weighted to population characteristics and therefore cannot be calculated exactly from the numbers in this table.

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This page was generated on 19AUG22.

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