Pattern of alcohol use by users of a family health unit

Background: Within the context of drugs, alcoholism is one of the major problems in public health. Objective: To identify the pattern of consumption of alcoholic beverages by users of a Family Health Unit in Sao Paulo state during reception. Method: Exploratory cross-sectional study of quantitative methodology with the use of Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) in 100 adult users of a Primary Health Care network. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out. Results: Of the total sample, (74%) were women, (85%) made use of alcoholic beverages at low risk, and (19%) were young adults; binge drinking was reported by a minority of the interviewees. The Catholics in the sample (42%) reported never using alcohol excessively, followed by the Evangelicals with 22%. Conclusions: Health professionals need to have knowledge of the alcohol consumption pattern of the residents from the territory of their unit, so that they can develop prevention and health promotion programs.