PurposeUnderage drinking is strictly prohibited by law, nevertheless, adolescents report having access through social supply from family, friends and other members of the society. The aim of this study was to determine the primary suppliers of alcohol to Korean teenagers.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingData were collected from 21 high schools in geographically diverse regions in South Korea from June to July 2012 as part of the International Alcohol Control Study.ParticipantsData were analysed from 247 high schoolers aged 16–18 years old as part of the International Alcohol Control Study.Primary and secondary outcome measuresSocial supply to high school students.ResultsMore than 56% of high schoolers who participated in the International Alcohol Control Survey had been supplied alcohol at least once. Of this number, approximately 59% were males. Parents (especially fathers) and friends were the main suppliers, with friends contributing greater volumes (205 g) of alcohol. Of the number of students provided by mothers, 52% of them were females while 73% of respondents provided by friends were males. The most significant place for alcohol supply was at special events. Males were at higher odds for risky drinking.ConclusionsThese results support previous findings about the role of parents and friends in underage drinking in South Korean high school drinkers.

ObjectivesAlcohol misuse has been widely studied as a substantial contributor to injured patients' visits to emergency departments. The current research studied differences in alcohol-related injury variables in China and Korea.MethodsData were collected from a sample of 4,509 patients (2,862 males and 1,667 females) reporting at emergency departments in China and Korea using the World Health Organization collaborative study on alcohol and injuries protocol.ResultsMore injuries were reported by men, young people aged 25–34 years, employed individuals, and persons who had at least a high-school education. The proportion of injury cases among intoxicated patients was 14% for Chinese and 20% for Koreans. The odds of intentional injuries to intoxicated patients increased significantly when the perpetrator had been drinking, especially for severely intoxicated victims in both countries. The odds of injuries for intoxicated persons in both countries were high during sports and leisure activities; odds ratio (OR) = 3.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.76–5.59 for Chinese and OR = 10.97, 95% CI = 6.06–19.85 for Koreans.ConclusionThese findings are a contribution to research in the two Asian countries about the effect of intoxication on injuries especially when both victim and perpetrator are intoxicated.

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to identify how the drinking patterns of a generation on the paternal side affect those of the next generations by estimating the number of high-risk drinkers by generation according to the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test.MethodsData were selected from the 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and were analyzed using SPSS 18.0.ResultsLater generations started drinking earlier (62.4%, 71.8% and 91.1%, respectively). The majority of the second generation consumed more than 2–4 drinks a month (83.7%), but only a small proportion experienced difficulty in everyday life (9.6%), felt repentance (9.6%), or experienced memory loss (17.9%) after drinking. Unmarried third-generation adults with high-risk-drinking fathers reported more frequent alcohol consumption [odds ratio (OR) 1.441), greater amounts on one occasion (>7 cups for men, OR 1.661; > 5 cups for women, OR 2.078), temperance failure (OR 2.377), and repentance after drinking (OR 1.577). Unmarried third-generation adults with high-risk-drinking grandfathers consumed greater amounts of alcohol on one occasion (OR 3.642), and unmarried third-generation women more frequently consumed large amounts of alcohol (>5 cups, OR 4.091). Unmarried third-generation adults with high-risk-drinking fathers were more likely to exhibit high-risk drinking patterns (OR 1.608). Second-generation individuals from a high-risk-drinking first generation were more likely to engage in high-risk drinking (OR 3.705).ConclusionHigh-risk drinking by a generation significantly affects the high-risk drinking patterns of subsequent generations.

Background: Diagnostic testing for the current SARS CoV 2 infections involves the collection and testing of invasive pharyngeal specimens by qualified Health workers. Though fully clad in personal protective equipment, the concern is that sampling in close proximity to the patient poses as a major health hazard. The present study sought to verify if saliva or faeces could become a possible surrogate for pharyngeal samples for SARS CoV 2 testing in suspected Ghanaian COVID-19 patients. Objectives: To ascertain if there is SARS CoV 2 viral shedding in the saliva and faecal samples of Ghanaian COVID 19 patients, their sensitivity and specificity as compared to pharyngeal samples. Method: Fifty (50) recruited COVID 19 patients who have been confirmed via RT PCR using their nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal samples and twenty (20) SARS CoV 2 negative suspected patients each provided some faecal and saliva sample for RT PCR analysis for SARS CoV 2. Results: Forty three (43) out of the fifty (50) COVID 19 patients recruited representing 86% tested positive for SARS CoV 2 via their saliva sample whiles all their faecal samples tested positive for SARS CoV 2 representing 100%. The sensitivity of saliva samples was 86% whiles the specificity was 100% but the sensitivity and specificity of the faecal samples were all 100%. Conclusion: There is indeed viral shedding of SARS CoV 2 in the saliva and faeces of Ghanaian COVID 19 patients just like their counterparts in other parts of the world. Saliva and faeces could possibly become an alternative sample to the current in place of the invasive pharyngeal samples for SARS CoV 2 testing in resource limited settings. Further research to explore this possibility at different testing sites with larger sample size is recommended. Keywords: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS CoV2), Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT PCR), saliva, faeces, nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, sensitivity, specificity