By Jung Min-ho
Six out of every 10 women in their 20s living in Seoul drink alcohol and 10 percent of them are heavy drinkers, according to a recent survey.
The survey, conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and released Tuesday, showed 64.8 percent of women said they drank alcohol more than once a month in the past year, up from 57.7 percent in 2008.
Among them, 9.7 percent said they drank more than five glasses of soju, which contains between 17 and 20 percent alcohol, more than twice a week.
Drinking is not just a habit for young women, however. A total of 45.1 percent of all female respondents said they drink, up from 40.8 percent in 2008; the drinking rate for men in the city increased by 1.8 percentage points during the same period.
The percentage of heavy drinking men decreased over all age groups, except for those in their 70s. A total of 34.5 percent of men in their 40s said they drank more than seven glasses of soju more than twice a week over the past year, followed by those in their 50s (31.2 percent) and 30s (28.8 percent).
When asked about reasons for drinking, 61.9 percent of all survey participants said they feel it is necessary for their social life, while 35.5 percent said “because of stress.”
When asked if they consider themselves healthy, 44.5 percent said “yes,” a decrease from 50.9 percent in 2008. The reduction was the biggest among women in their 20s — their rate dropped to 54.1 percent from 70 percent.
The research also revealed Seoul citizens’ obesity rate increased last year to 23.2 percent, up from 20.6 percent in 2008.
Experts say the statistics are a sign of worsening health for many people, noting that there are many health hazards associated with heavy drinking.
A study released in January by the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, reported that every day six people die in the United States due to alcohol poisoning.
In another study in the same month, a research team from Loyola University Health Systems in Maywood, Ill., found that binge drinking could disrupt people’s immune system function. The team also said it could worsen infections.