Demographic changes and effects of globalization on alcohol consumption patterns and drunk driving in Hong Kong

Objectives: This study examines the patterns of alcohol consumption and the sociodemographic factors associated with problem drinking and drinking and driving among Hong Kong Chinese in order to examine effects of recent demographic changes.

Methods:  An anonymous, random telephone survey was conducted on 9860 Chinese adults (18-70 years of age) from April to June, 2006. Results: The age-adjusted prevalence for binge drinking among males was 14.4% with 5.3% of males being alcohol abusers and 2.3% dependent on alcohol. The corresponding figures for women were all lower at 3.6%, 1.4% and 0.7%, respectively. Problem drinking was shown to be increasing with younger age. While male binge drinkers were younger, less likely to be students but more likely to be employed in the service industry, female binge drinkers were tended to be younger, single and more likely to be smokers. The past-year prevalence of drinking and driving across age showed an inverted U-shaped trend for males peaking at 8.2% between 41-45 years whereas there was little difference in drinking and driving rates among females. Although younger drinkers were less likely to drink and drive, drinking drivers between the ages of 26-30 were the most likely to be involved in alcohol-related motor vehicular accidents. Higher socio-economic status, weekly drinking, binge drinking and alcohol abuse were independently associated with higher likelihood of drinking and driving in both genders. Among drinking drivers, type of occupation  was the only predictor of having had a motor vehicular accident.
Conclusions: Although alcohol consumption has not traditionally been considered an important public health concern in Hong Kong, problem drinking is increasing rapidly which may reflect changing lifestyle behaviors concomitant with regional economic changes. The increasing prevalence of problematic alcohol consumption and the elevated prevalence of drinking and driving among problem drinkers warrant greater promotion of alcohol harms awareness.