80% of men in Ho Chi Minh City drink alcohol.

A recent study of over 9,400 Vietnamese families by a group of experts revealed that 80% of men in Ho Chi Minh City drink alcohol, with 13% drinking daily; the rate of women drinking alcoholic beverages has also increased significantly.

The research team consisted of three Vietnamese experts at the University.Illinois, USA, and HealthBirdge Canada Foundation in Vietnam.Associate Professor Do Van Dung, Vice Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, stated:kThe results of a study on alcohol consumption in 9,400 nationally representative households, recently released, show that57.22% of Vietnamese families consume alcohol regularly.Wealthy, highly educated families tend to drink more alcohol, unlike in developed countries.

Studies show that the age at which people start drinking alcohol is getting younger, mainly among students. Alcohol consumption is also increasing among women. In particular, urban women drink more alcohol and get drunk more often than rural women.In Ho Chi Minh City, 80% of men consume alcohol, while 22% of women do; of which 13% of men drink alcohol daily and this figure is 1% for women.

Alcohol consumption rates in Vietnam are increasing. Photo: Le Phuong.

According to Mr. Dung, in Vietnam, alcohol is the fourth leading risk factor among the top eight factors contributing to the burden of disease. It is a cause of traffic accidents and domestic violence. Children in families with alcoholics suffer disadvantages in terms of nutrition and education, and experience psychological trauma compared to other children.

In families living below the poverty line, if the money spent on alcohol (an average of 146 glasses a year) were used to buy milk, children would receive 122 glasses of milk instead of just one glass as they do now.It is estimated that Vietnamese people spend approximately 16.3 trillion VND annually on alcoholic beverages; this amount could buy more than 1,770,000 tons of rice, enough to feed 21 million people.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), alcohol is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. Of these deaths, 20% are due to injuries and traffic accidents, 50% are due to cirrhosis, and 30% are due to esophageal cancer, liver cancer, and epilepsy. Approximately 30 diseases and 200 injuries are directly linked to alcohol use.Alcohol consumption also contributes to reduced productivity, increased workplace accidents, unemployment, violence, social ills, and crime.

Many accidents and injuries requiring hospitalization are due to excessive alcohol consumption. Photo: Le Phuong.

According to experts, policies controlling advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of alcoholic beverages are among the most effective measures to control the harm caused by alcohol consumption.

According to VNE