Many, many people enjoy the occasional tipple every now and then. Perhaps nearly as many people enjoy alcoholic beverages more often, even every day. That, in and of itself, is not bad. Countless studies show that light alcohol consumption (no more than two drinks per day) lead to a longer, healthier life than being a teetotaler. According to the CDC, 38 million U.S. adults drink “too much,” which isn’t all that shocking. Even monkeys and apes will abuse alcohol, if you let them. What is shocking, though, is that around 83% of all adults (and 75% of binge drinkers) report that their doctor has never discussed alcohol use with them, according to the CDC’s “Vital Signs”

Predictably, the CDC is a bit of a buzzkill when it comes to defining what it considers “abusive” alcohol use. Indicators for men include: Five or more drinks in a 2-3 hour period (known to many college students simply as “Tuesday”), fifteen or more drinks per week, any use by pregnant women, and any use by drinkers under the age of 21. Acceptable consumption figures are even less for women (four drinks in one sitting; eight or more drinks in a week).

Only one in six adults, and only one in four confirmed binge drinkers, report discussing drinking with their doctor. Even among those who reported binge drinking ten or more times in a month (considered a bit too much of a good time by just about anyone), just one in three report receiving counseling. As to why that is, no one’s sure.

“The goal here is not to tell people to never have another drink,” , the head of the CDC, said in a press briefing. But, he added, “The health system is not doing an effective job finding out about these health problems.”

The CDC’s findings are troubling, as they note that of those 38 million over-imbibers, most are not alcoholics. Still, alcohol abuse causes 88,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, costing taxpayers to the tune of $224 billion. What’s worse, it doesn’t take much to make a difference. A simple screening and some very brief counseling can reduce drinking on a given occasion by 25% for adults prone to drink too much, the CDC says.

“Counseling for no more than 15 minutes can result in a substantial reduction in problem drinking,” Frieden said . “It should be a part of routine patient care. In the same way we screen for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, we should be screening for excess alcohol use and treating patients appropriately.”

Drinking too much is dangerous and can lead to heart disease, breast cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancy, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, sudden infant death syndrome, motor-vehicle crashes, and violence. Healthcare professionals (or anyone) who would like more information can visit the CDC here.

“We are not saying people should not drink at all,” Frieden said. “What we’re saying is for people who drink heavily there are serious health problems.”

“It may be going from six drinks on a Friday night to three or four,” he said. “It might mean spacing them out, or having something to drink besides alcohol.”

Sage words to keep in mind as we slowly slide into the weekend.