"How often during the past year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?"

How guilty is guilty? Are we talking "tequila is a bad choice" guilty or "I've just woken up in a pile of my own filth" guilty?

The MaineBAC demands answers to these questions.

If you read yesterday's paper, you may have seen a story on MaineBac.org - the online "Brief Alcohol Check-up" operated by 21 Reasons and other local groups.

The site is essentially an online quiz that can tell you through a series of moderately probing question whether you may have a problem, how to solve it and where you stack up against other drinkers.

The idea behind the project is to target the young party-going mobs of the the Old Port and make them think before that next cocktail.

I'll give them credit for coming up with a quiz that seems as clinical as it is funny, especially with questions like this:

(Does that risk include spontaneous combustion?)

Though the quiz is anonymous - which is supposed to encourage frank and honest answers - it could suffer from the same problem as a lot of online quizzes: self-censoring.

If people answer with that they think they should say instead of the truth, the project may be less than successful.

So in the interest of science I decided to take the quiz, answering that in a typical week I have beer or wine with dinner on some nights and a few more drinks on the weekend.

Here's the results:

- I spend more than $1,500 a year on alcohol, which would translate into "a new laptop computer or a skiing vacation!"

- In one month I drink about 5,887 calories, the equivalent of 16 cheeseburgers

- My risk of developing future alcohol problems based on family history and my habits is low

- Also good to know: 35 percent of Mainers 18 -24 years old binge drink in a typical month, while 39 percent don't drink at all

So ... what does this all mean? It's tough to say because the analysis offered with each step offers several factors and disclaimers:

Still, the results feel a little bit surprising. But at the same time I'd say it's tough to say what's "typical" drinking in a "typical" week. Some weeks it's less, some weeks (like, say, if your company announces layoffs) it may be more.

Like most online tools, it's as useful as you make it, and just about as reliable. Take the quiz, see how you shape up and give your thoughts.

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