The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services, reports that more than 85 percent of adults in the United States have tried drinking alcohol at least once in their lives and that more than half of American adults drink alcohol at least once a month. Most people who choose to drink can do so without disrupting their lives. Alcoholism has commonly been used to describe compulsive alcohol use, but most health-care professionals began to adopt the terminology and classification criteria of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2013. (Opposing Viewpoints)