Codes and Frequencies
Description
For sample persons age 18 and over who abstained or limited their drinking alcohol at the time of the survey, ALCNOWHY reports the person's main reason for not drinking. For all years, alcohol included beer, wine and liquor. See Comparability and Universe tabs for information on changing periods of alcohol abstinence required for inclusion between samples.
Please use the IPUMS NHIS drop down menu and search functions for related variables.
Comparability
Changes in the universe limit comparability over time. In 1983, the question was asked only of persons who either never had 12 drinks in their life or who had never had 12 drinks in any one year of their life. In 1985 and 1990, the universe was expanded to also include persons who have not had a drink in the past year. In 1988, the universe was further expanded to also include current drinkers who had abstained from alcohol in the two weeks prior to the survey. Please see the Universe tab for more details.
Universe
- 1983: Sample persons age 18+ who never had 12 drinks or more, or who have ever had 12 drinks but never had 12 drinks in any one year.
- 1985; 1990: Sample persons age 18+ who never had 12 drinks or more, or who never drank 12 drinks in any one year, or who have not had one drink in past year.
- 1988: Sample persons age 18+ who never had 12 drinks or more, or who never drank 12 drinks in any one year, or current drinkers who haven't had one drink during the previous two or more weeks, or who have had twelve or more drinks in any year of their life but have not had twelve drinks in the past year.
Availability
- 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990
Weights
- 1985, 1988, 1990 : SAMPWEIGHT
- 1983 : SUPP1WT
