Alcohol Reform in Viet Nam

Alcohol and drinking cultures in Vietnam: A review

“…A study in Can Tho, a medium-size commercial city in the Mekong Delta, South Vietnam, found that 38.6 percent of men surveyed consumed five or more drinks on at least one day in the past week (Pham et al, 2009). A study of male traffic crash victims admitted to a hospital in central Vietnam found that 60.4 percent had blood alcohol levels in excess of legal limits (Nguyen et al, 2012). …”

“…Pham et al, 2010; Nguyen et al, 2012; Pham et al, 2013), as investigators have attempted to discover whether young drinkers are at risk for associated harmful behaviors such as smoking and unsafe sex (Nguyen et al, 2012; Tho et al, 2007, Kaljee et al, 2005). This is a particularly significant research area given the relative youth of the national population.…”

“…However, the literature on alcohol in Vietnam contains little analysis of the factors that influence alcohol initiation and the development of alcohol use patterns over the life course. Jordan et al (2013) attempt to address the first gap in the literature with a study of alcohol use initiation among children aged 9, 10, and 11 in North Vietnam, concluding that “peer use is the most powerful explanatory measure of early adolescent drinking”; Nguyen et al (2012) reach similar conclusions regarding cigarette smoking and drinking among adolescent rural-to-urban migrants. Kaljee et al (2005) concur that “peer pressure and imitating peers” are important factors for adolescent boys initiating alcohol use.…”

“…No study has compared the risks associated with alcohol consumption in different social contexts or physical places. However, one study notes the proliferation of drinking venues in recent years, naming “the bia hoi (beer hall), café, or karaoke bar” (Nguyen et al, 2012) as spaces where young men have become increasingly likely to consume alcohol socially; Giang et al (2008) note that alcohol “can be bought in any food or coffee shop”.…”

“…While this may indicate real trends that can be substantiated with evidence, these claims have yet to be demonstrated rigorously. For example, Nguyen et al, 2012 attribute increased alcohol use nationally to the “Westernization” of drinking patterns in the Vietnamese population: With increasing exposure to international influences through a globalized media, greater international travel and communication, patterns and locations for drinking are evolving and, particularly among young Vietnamese, have become more Westernized. [Nguyen et al, 2012]…”