Survey Findings Related to Underage Drinking

  • One in every 6 adults who drank alcohol in the past 12 months reported to have a drinking habit below 18 years of age.
 

Age of starting the habit of drinking among adults aged 18-64, 2015

Based on Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 local adults aged 18-64, 16.6% of 1087 respondents who drank alcohol in the past 12 months reported to have a drinking habit below 18 years of age.
Base: 1 087 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64 who drank alcohol in the past 12 months prior to the survey and reported to have a drinking habit.
Source: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.
 
  • Over 2/5 adults who had ever drunk alcohol reported to have their first sip below 18 years of age.
 

Age of having the first sip of alcohol among adults aged 18-64, 2015

Based on Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 local adults aged 18-64, 43.1% of 1630 respondents who had ever drunk alcohol reported to have their first sip below 18 years of age.
Base: 1 630 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64 who had ever drunk alcohol.
Source: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.
 
  • First sip of alcohol before 18 was associated with larger number of alcohol units consumed in adulthood.
 

Amount of alcohol usually drank in one day on a typical drinking day among adults aged 18-64, 2015　

First sip of alcohol before 18 was associated with larger number of alcohol units consumed in adulthood. The Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 adults aged 18-64 showed that, on average, those having first sip of alcohol before 18 years of age consumed 3 units of alcohol in one day on the days they drank alcohol, while those having first sip of alcohol at 18 years or above consumed 2 units of alcohol in one day on the days they drank alcohol.
Base: 1 042 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64 who drank alcohol in the past 12 months and provided their amount of alcohol consumed (number of alcohol units) in one day on a typical drinking day.
Source: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.
 
  • First sip of alcohol before 18 was associated with higher frequency of drinking in adulthood.
 

Relationship between age of having first sip of alcohol and drinking frequency among adults aged 18-64, 2015

First sip of alcohol before 18 was associated with higher frequency of drinking in adulthood. The Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 adults aged 18-64 showed that 64.8 per cent of those who drank more than three times a week in the past 12 months reported having their first sip of alcohol before 18.
Base: 1 624 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64 who had ever drunk alcohol and provided their frequency of drinking in the past 12 months prior to the survey, as well as their age of having first sip of alcohol.
Source: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.
 
  • First sip of alcohol before 18 was associated with higher frequency of binge-drinking* in adulthood.
 

Relationship between age of having first sip of alcohol and frequency of binge-drinking among adults aged 18-64, 2015

First sip of alcohol before 18 was associated with higher frequency of binge-drinking in adulthood. The Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 adults aged 18-64 showed that 66.7 per cent of those who binge-drank once or more a month in the past 12 months reported having their first sip of alcohol before 18.
Base: 1 068 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64 who drank alcohol in the past 12 months and provided their frequency of binge-drinking in the past 12 months prior to the survey, as well as their age of having first sip of alcohol.
Note: * drink at least 5 glasses or cans of alcoholic drinks on one occasion.
Source: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.
 
  • Almost 7 in every 10 adults held a negative attitude towards youth drinking.
 

Attitudes towards youth drinking among adults aged 18-64, 2015

The Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 local adults aged 18-64 showed that 67.4% of them held a negative attitude towards youth drinking.
Base: 2 507 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64.
Source: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.
 
  • About 6 in every 7 adults agreed that underaged people should not drink alcohol.
 

Level of agreement or disagreement on "Persons aged under 18 should not drink alcohol at all” among adults aged 18-64, 2015

The Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 local adults aged 18-64 showed that 85.9% of them agreed that underaged people should not drink alcohol.
Base: 2 507 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64.
Source: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.