This analysis of the populations most at risk of excessive drinking in France is based on self-reported data from the IRDES Health and Social Protection Survey (ESPS) of general households, including the AUDIT-C test. Overall, men are 2.6 times more likely to be at risk of excessive drinking than women. The one-time risk decreases sharply with age. The chronic risk peaks in middle age. Among both men and women, the one-time risk particularly affects managers and professionals (36.1% vs. 22.6%) and intermediate-level workers (36.7% vs. 20.2%). Chronic risk is more common among men employed in commerce (19.5%) or agriculture (17.3%) and among women in craft trades and commerce (6.4%) or in managerial and intellectual professions (4.7%). Unemployed men rank third for occasional risk (26.6%) but first for chronic risk (18.7%); unemployed women are primarily at risk for occasional use (18.2%). From 2002 to 2010, behind a relative overall stability, disparities in trends are evident, notably a marked increase in occasional risky use among young women and in certain social categories. Alcohol is a risk factor for both health and social well-being. The indicator of drinking patterns presented here is essential for interpreting health behaviors, but complementary survey types, particularly clinical studies, are desirable to help propose effective health policies. (R.A.)