Adolescent Alcohol Use in Japan, 1996

We conducted the 1st nationwide survey on the use of alcohol by Japanese high school students. The survey design was a cross-sectional sampling survey. The targets of the survey were junior and senior high schools throughout Japan. Sample schools were selected by stratified cluster sampling. Self-administered anonymous questionnaires were sent to sample schools for all students to fill out. Among sampled schools, 65.6% and 67.0% of junior high schools and senior high schools responded, respectively. A total of 117,325 students responded and 115,814 questionnaires were subjected to analysis. The current drinking rate was defined as the percentage of students who had drank alcohol at least 1 day within the 30 day period before answering the questionnaire, starting at 26.0% for boys and 22.2% for girls in the 1st grade of junior high and increasing to 54.9% for boys and 43.4% for girls in the 3rd grade of senior high school. The experience rate of alcohol drinking on ceremonial occasions was much higher. The experience rates of drinking with peers, at parties, in bars and drinking alone increased with age. The cumulative experience rate of drinking with peers was dramatically increased in senior high school students. The most popular alcohol beverage was beer among boys, and sweet fruit-flavored liquor among girls. The most prevalent sources of alcohol for student drinkers were convenience stores, bars, liquor stores and vending machines. The results showed that adolescent drinking in Japan is quite widespread; this suggests that education toward the prevention of drinking should start in primary school. Adults around junior and senior high school students should take adolescent drinking seriously.