Comparison of Patterns of Use of Unrecorded and Recorded Spirits: Survey of Adult Drinkers in Rural Central China

Shiqing Wei, Ping Yin, Ian M. Newman, Ling Qian, Duane F. Shell and Lok-wa Yuen
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Shiqing Wei: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430073, China
Ping Yin: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430073, China
Ian M. Newman: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
Ling Qian: Chinese Center for Health Education (CCHE), Beijing 100011, China
Duane F. Shell: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
Lok-wa Yuen: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-10

Abstract: About 70% of the beverage alcohol consumed in China annually is spirits. Recorded spirits make up most spirit consumption, but about 25% of total alcohol consumption (1.7 L pure alcohol per capita annually) is unrecorded spirits (bai jiu), either homemade or made in unregulated distilleries. In some parts of China, the consumption of unrecorded spirits is higher than average. This paper compares the patterns of use of unrecorded distilled spirits and recorded distilled spirits among rural residents in Central China. Interviews were conducted with 3298 individuals in 21 towns/villages in 10 counties in the Hubei, Anhui, and Hebei provinces in the People’s Republic of China. Unrecorded bai jiu drinkers chose it because of its taste and its low price. It was consumed mostly by older men, mostly at home with family, more regularly and at higher alcohol by volume (ABV) compared to recorded alcohol. Recorded bai jiu drinkers were more likely to drink away from their homes, consumed more bai jiu at memorable drinking occasions, and reported feeling sick after drinking more often than unrecorded bai jiu drinkers. This comparison of patterns of use of unrecorded bai jiu and recorded bai jiu does not suggest that unrecorded bai jiu is more problematic for drinkers.

Keywords: grain spirits; distilled spirits; bai jiu; noncommercial alcohol; unrecorded alcohol; drinking patterns; alcohol preferences; gender differences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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