Associations between iillicit alcohol consumption and harmful drinking patterns of the Thai population

Authors

  • Kamolphat Markchang International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health
  • Jintana Jankhotkaew International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health
  • Sopit Nasueb International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health
  • Surasak Chaiyasong Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahasarakham University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14456/dcj.2022.26

Keywords:

unrecorded alcohol, illicit alcohol, binge drinking, high-risk level drinking

Abstract

One-fourth of alcohol consumption worldwide is unrecorded alcohol consumption, representing approximately 1.6 liters of alcohol per capita (APC), while the Thai population’s unrecorded alcohol consumption has a higher consumption rate, about 1.7 liters of APC. This study aimed to analyze associations between illicit alcohol consumption and harmful drinking patterns of the Thai population. A cross-sectional research was conducted using data from the Smoking and Drinking Behavior Survey (SDBS) in 2017, conducted by the National Statistical Office of Thailand (NSO), with a total sample of 22,610 respondents aged 15 years old and above being included for data analysis. The study investigated two types of harmful drinking patterns: binge drinking, and high-risk level drinking. Multiple logistic regression was utilized to investigate the associations between illicit alcohol consumption and the harmful drinking patterns. Illicit alcohol consumption had a greater prevalence of binge drinking than recorded alcohol consumption (58.87% for illicit alcohol consumption, and 37.14% for recorded alcohol consumption), as was the case for high-risk level drinking behaviors (10.49% for illicit alcohol consumption, and 5.99% for recorded alcohol consumption). After adjusting for potential confounders, illicit alcohol drinkers reported 2.55 times more likely to be binge drinkers compared to recorded alcohol drinkers (95% CI 2.54-2.56; p<0.001), and illicit alcohol drinkers had 1.57 times more likely to report high-risk level drinking patterns compared to recorded alcohol drinkers (95% CI 1.57-1.58; p<0.001). The study showed that illicit alcohol drinking was significantly associated with more harmful drinking patterns than recorded alcohol drinking. Therefore, relevant authorities should seriously enforce the regulations banning the smuggling and illegal production of unrecorded alcohol products.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

World Health Organization. Global status report on alcohol and health 2018. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018.

International Health Policy Program. Report of burden of disease and injury of Thai population in 2557 BC. Nonthaburi: Burden of Disease Thailand; 2018. (in Thai)

Waleewong O, Laslett AM, Chenhall R, Room R. Harm from others’ drinking-related aggression, violence and misconduct in five Asian countries and the implications. International Journal of Drug Policy. 2018;56:101-7.

World Health Organization. Global and regional estimates of violence against women: prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence. Rome: World Health Organization; 2013.

McMurran M. Alcohol and crime. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health. 2003;13(1):1-4.

Thavorncharoensap M, Teerawattananon Y, Yothasamut J, Lertpitakpong C, Thitiboonsuwan K, Neramitpitagkul P, et al. The economic costs of alcohol consumption in Thailand, 2006. BMC Public Health. 2010;10:323.

Ostapenko YN, Brusin KM, Zobnin YV, Shchupak AY, Vishnevetskiy MK, Sentsov VG, et al. Acute cholestatic liver injury caused by polyhexamethyleneguanidine hydrochloride admixed to ethyl alcohol. Clinical Toxicology. 2011;49(6):471-7.

Solodun YV, Monakhova YB, Kuballa T, Samokhvalov AV, Rehm J, Lachenmeier DW. Unrecorded alcohol consumption in Russia: toxic denaturants and disinfectants pose additional risks. Interdiscip Toxicol. 2011;4(4):198-205.

Rehm J, Kanteres F, Lachenmeier DW. Unrecorded consumption, quality of alcohol and health consequences. Drug and Alcohol Review. 2010;29(4):426-36.

Rehm J, Kailasapillai S, Larsen E, Rehm MX, Samokhvalov AV, Shield KD, et al. A systematic review of the epidemiology of unrecorded alcohol consumption and the chemical composition of unrecorded alcohol. Addiction. 2014;109(6):880-93.

McKee M, Suzcs S, Sarvary A, Adany R, Kiryanov N, Saburova L, et al. The composition of surrogate alcohols consumed in Russia. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2005;29(10):1884-8.

Lang K, Vali M, Szucs S, Adany R, McKee M. The composition of surrogate and illegal alcohol products in Estonia. Alcohol Alcohol. 2006;41 (4):446-50.

Lachenmeier DW, Leitz J, Schoeberl K, Kuballa T, Straub I, Rehm J. Quality of illegally and informally produced alcohol in Europe: Results from the AMPHORA project. Adicciones. 2011;23(2):133-40.

Lachenmeier DW, Ganss S, Rychlak B, Rehm J, Sulkowska U, Skiba M, et al. Association between quality of cheap and unrecorded alcohol products and public health consequences in Poland. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2009;33(10):1757-69.

Ramathibodi Poison Center. Methanol poisoning [Internet]. [cited 2019 Jun 20]. Available from: https://med.mahidol.ac.th/poisoncenter/th/pois-cov/Methanol (in Thai)

Siripanich S. Methanol poisoning, a threat near alcohol drinkers (Methanol poisoning). Weekly Epidemiological Surveillance Report, Thailand. 2010;41(22):337-40. (in Thai)

Viriyahirunpiboon J. Illegal liquor. General knowledge about toxic things. Nonthaburi: National Institute of Health of Thailand; 1994. (in Thai)

Mkuu RS, Barry AE, Ishino FAM, Amuta AO. Examining characteristics of recorded and unrecorded alcohol consumers in Kenya. BMC Public Health. 2018;18:1058.

National Statistical Office. The smoking and drinking behavior survey in 2560 BC. Bankok: Pimdeekarnpim Company Limited; 2017. (in Thai)

Aekphakorn W, Puckcharern H, Thaikla K, Satheannoppakao W. Thai health examination report by physical examination No. 5, 2557 BC. Nonthaburi: Health systems research institute; 2014. (in Thai)

World Health Organization. Global status report on alcohol and health 2018. Geneva; 2018.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fact sheets-binge drinking [Internet]. [cited 2019 Oct 16]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm

Lachenmeier DW. Unrecorded and illicit alcohol. In: Anderson P, Moller L, Galea G, editors. Alcohol in the European union consumption, harm and policy approaches. Copenhagen. Denmark: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2012.

Lachenmeier DW, Gmel G, Rehm J. Chapter 15 unrecorded alcohol consumption. In: Boyle P, Boffetta P, Lowenfels AB, Burns H, Brawley O, Zatonski W, et al, editors. Alcohol science, policy, and public health university of Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2013. p. 135.

Nordlund S, Osterberg E. Unrecorded alcohol consumption: its economics and its effects on alcohol control in the Nordic countries. Addiction. 2000;95(4):551-64.

Lorpadit T, Noosorn N. Problem of binge drinking illicit spirits community with policy controls Thailand. Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Uttaradit Journal. 2018;10(1):154-63. (in Thai)

World Health Organization. Global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010.

World Health Organization. Global status report on alcohol and health 2014. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2014.

Assanangkornchai S. Report on the Situation of alcohol consumption in Thai society in 2560 BC. Bangkok: Sahamit Pattana Printing; 2017. (in Thai)

Chaiyasong S, Limwattananon S, Limwattananon C, Thamarangsi T, Tangchareonsathien V, Schommer J. Impacts of excise tax raise on illegal and total alcohol consumption: A Thai experience. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy. 2011;18(2):90-9.

World Health Organization. International guide for monitoring alcohol consumption and related harm. Geneva: Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence, Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health Cluster, World Health Organization; 2000.

Thamarangsi T. Unrecorded alcohol: significant neglected challenges. Addiction. 2013;108(12):2048-50.

Rehm J, Poznyak V. On monitoring unrecorded alcohol consumption. Alcoholism and Drug Addiction. 2015;28(2):79-89.

World Health Organization. Global status report on road safety 2018. France: World HealthOrganization; 2018.

The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and planning. Report analysis of road accident situations of the Ministry of Transport, B.E. 2020. Bangkok: Ministry of Transport; 2021. (in Thai)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vital signs: binge drinking prevalence, frequency, and intensity among adults - United States, 2010. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2012;61(1):14-9.

Murakami K, Hashimoto H. Associations of education and income with heavy drinking and problem drinking among men: evidence from a population-based study in Japan. BMC Public Health. 2019;19:420.

Neufeld M, Wittchen H-U, Rehm J. Drinking patterns and harm of unrecorded alcohol in Russia: a qualitative interview study. Addiction Research & Theory. 2017;25(4):310-7.

Downloads

Published

2022-06-29

How to Cite

1.
Markchang K, Jankhotkaew J, Nasueb S, Chaiyasong S. Associations between iillicit alcohol consumption and harmful drinking patterns of the Thai population. Dis Control J [Internet]. 2022 Jun. 29 [cited 2024 Dec. 19];48(2):307-20. Available from: https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/DCJ/article/view/248425

Issue

Section

Original Article