According to federal guidelines, men should drink no more than 2 alcoholic beverages a day and women no more than 1 a day.  The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, a division in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 82% of men and 89% of women drink within the federal government’s recommended limits. 

Despite what appears to be an overwhelming number of Americans who drink the maximum recommended amount or less per day, government researchers at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion conclude "the fact remains that it is a significant public health problem that many people do drink to excess."

"Overall the study confirms that rates of unhealthy alcohol use in the U.S. are significant," said Jennifer Mertens, a research medical scientist at Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, who was not part of the study.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/26/us-drinking-idUSBRE91N0IG20130226