Patterns of drinking in Thai men

Alcohol problems have increased considerably in Thailand in recent years, i n common with many other countries in South East Asia. Little is known abou t the patterns or contexts of alcohol consumption in these countries, and s o efforts to develop preventative strategies have been hampered. To identif y current patterns related to alcohol consumption, we recruited 91 alcohol- dependent subjects, 77 hazardous or harmful drinkers, and 144 abstainers or light drinkers. A structured interview incorporating the World Health Orga nization 'tri-level' method to determine the amount and frequency of drinki ng, and the Alcohol Use Disorders and Associated Disabilities to diagnose a lcohol dependence and harmful drinking was used. Median alcohol intake was 75 and 49 g/drinking day in the alcohol-dependent and harmful or hazardous groups respectively. The former group drank on average 25 days/month, where as the harmful or hazardous drinkers drank 10 days/month. Drinking alone wa s more Common in the alcohol-dependent group (67%), whereas harmful or haza rdous drinkers typically drank with friends (58%), and infrequent drinkers drank only at social functions (61%). Only 28% of alcohol-dependent subject s perceived themselves as dependent on alcohol. The alcohol-dependent subje cts and hazardous or harmful drinkers were more likely to currently smoke c igarettes and have a history of marijuana use than were non-drinkers, infre quent or light drinkers. Antisocial personality disorder was more commonly associated with alcohol dependence. In conclusion, alcohol dependence was c haracterized by continual drinking, whereas hazardous or harmful consumptio n was associated with an intermittent pattern. Other forms of substance use and personality disorder were associated with alcohol dependence. Clearer understanding of these factors would be of great benefit in planning an int ervention programme for excessive drinking in Thailand.