Men in Their 40s-50s and Women in Their 20s-30s Show High Drinking Rates

10-Year Drinking Rate: Decrease in Men, Increase in Women
Risky Drinking in Vulnerable Groups Including Those Experiencing Flushing

It was found that men in their 40s and 50s and women in their 20s and 30s drink alcohol the most.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced on the 30th that it will publish the "In-depth Report on Drinking Based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey" using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The report includes analysis results on trends in drinking behavior among adults aged 19 and older over the past 10 years (2012?2021), drinking behaviors of vulnerable groups, and related factors.

The drinking behavior of adults in Korea has not changed significantly over the past 10 years. Men still have a higher drinking rate than women. By age group, men in their 40s and 50s and women in their 20s and 30s showed higher rates.

Looking at trends by indicators, the high-risk drinking rate among annual drinkers decreased from 25.1% in 2012 to 23.6% in 2021 for men. For women, it increased from 7.9% to 8.9%. The high-risk drinking rate refers to the proportion of annual drinkers who consume 7 or more drinks per occasion for men and 5 or more drinks per occasion for women at least twice a week.

Regarding the monthly binge drinking rate among annual drinkers, men showed a decrease (61.7% → 56.0%), while women showed little change (31.0% → 31.1%). The monthly binge drinking rate refers to the proportion of annual drinkers who consume 7 or more drinks per occasion for men and 5 or more drinks per occasion for women at least once a month. High-risk drinking rates and monthly binge drinking rates were higher among men in their 40s and 50s and women in their 20s and 30s.

The continuous high-risk drinking rate among annual drinkers fluctuated around 10% for men and 3% for women over the years. For men, the highest rate was among those in their 50s and 60s, and for women, it was highest in their 30s. The continuous high-risk drinking rate refers to the proportion of annual drinkers who consume 5 or more drinks per occasion for men and 3 or more drinks per occasion for women at least four times a week.

The proportion of users who both smoke and drink (currently smoking and drinking monthly) has been decreasing over the past 10 years. However, it was found that 1 in 10 men are high-risk users of both smoking and drinking (daily smokers who engage in high-risk drinking).

Four out of ten people experienced alcohol flushing syndrome, which causes facial redness even with small amounts of alcohol. Among them, men (14.0%) who engage in high-risk drinking were three times more likely than women (4.3%). Alcohol flushing syndrome is a symptom caused by a deficiency in alcohol-metabolizing enzymes, and it is known that people with this symptom who continue high-risk drinking have an increased risk of cancers such as esophageal cancer.

The high-risk drinking rate among chronic disease medication users (aged 30 and older taking at least one medication for hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, or asthma) was also higher in men at 20.4% compared to 9.0% in women.

Professor Kim Kwang-ki of Inje University, who conducted the in-depth analysis study, explained, "Korea has a cultural characteristic that is tolerant of drinking," adding, "The high drinking rate among women in their 20s and 30s appears to be influenced by increased accessibility due to the development of alcoholic beverages with low alcohol content or fruit wines, as well as greater social and cultural acceptance of drinking."

Jiyoung Mi, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated, "Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for chronic diseases, and improving drinking behavior requires not only individual efforts but also societal changes to improve environments that encourage drinking." She added, "We will continue national health surveys to monitor drinking behavior and strengthen evidence, cooperate with related ministries to reduce alcohol-related harm, improve environments that promote drinking, and support tailored prevention policies for vulnerable groups to promote public health."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.