Alcohol Use in China: Unrecorded and Recorded Bai Jiu in Three Rural Regions

Lanyan Ding, Baoping Song, Chengli Wu, Ian M. Newman, Lok-Wa Yuen, Ling Qian, Botao Wang, Wenjuan Zhang and Ping Wei
Additional contact information
Lanyan Ding: Center for Mental Health Education, Xidian University, Xi’an 710126, China
Baoping Song: Center for Mental Health Education, Xidian University, Xi’an 710126, China
Chengli Wu: Center for Mental Health Education, Xidian University, Xi’an 710126, China
Ian M. Newman: Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
Lok-Wa Yuen: Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
Ling Qian: Department of Guidance and Training, Chinese Center for Health Education, Beijing 100011, China
Botao Wang: Center for Mental Health Education, Xidian University, Xi’an 710126, China
Wenjuan Zhang: Center for Mental Health Education, Xidian University, Xi’an 710126, China
Ping Wei: Center for Mental Health Education, Xidian University, Xi’an 710126, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: In China, approximately 70% of beverage alcohol is consumed in the form of spirits. An estimated 25% of all alcohol consumed is unrecorded, mostly spirits (bai jiu), produced outside regulatory systems in small neighborhood distilleries, mostly in rural areas. Unrecorded bai jiu drinkers are generally older, male, prefer higher-strength bai jiu, and drink daily and mostly at home. To explore possible regional differences, researchers used interview data from 2919 bai jiu drinkers in rural areas in Hebei, Anhui, and Hubei provinces in China. Results confirmed that patterns varied by province. The sample in Hubei preferred unrecorded bai jiu with a more stable preference to alcohol type, tended to drink less frequently, and reported experiencing less drinking pressure, suggesting lower-risk drinking patterns in this region. The Hebei and Anhui sample reported higher frequency and greater amount of alcohol consumption, were more likely to experience drinking pressure, indicating higher-risk patterns in alcohol use in these two regions. The results provide needed details about regional differences in unrecorded bai jiu drinking patterns that are not evident in aggregated data and suggest variations in drinking patterns that may reflect local geography, local values, traditions, and ethnic differences.

Keywords: grain spirits; distilled spirits; bai jiu; noncommercial alcohol; unrecorded alcohol; drinking patterns; alcohol preferences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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