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Abstinence

  1. Refraining from drug use or (particularly) from drinking alcoholic beverages, whether as a matter of principle or for other reasons.

    Those who practise abstinence from alcohol are termed "abstainers", "total abstainers", or-in a more old-fashioned formulation-"teetotallers". The term "current abstainer", often used in population surveys, is usually defined as a person who has not drunk an alcoholic beverage in the preceding 12 months; this definition does not necessarily coincide with a respondent's self-description as an abstainer.

    Reference: World Health Organization. Lexicon of alcohol and drug terms published by the World Health Organization. Internet. Accessed August 20, 2009. Available at http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/terminology/who_lexicon/en/index.html


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