September 13, 2002

Low Rates of Alcohol Use

among Asian Youths
T
he National Household Survey on Drug
In Brief Abuse (NHSDA) asks respondents aged
12 or older about alcohol use, including
z Asian youths were less likely to the quantity and frequency of use.1 Respondents
have used alcohol during the aged 12 to 17 were asked to report how they
past year than Hispanic, white, thought their parents would feel about their
having one or two drinks of an alcoholic
or American Indian/Alaska beverage nearly every day.2 Youths were also
Native youths asked to report how much they felt people risk
harming themselves physically and in other ways
z Asian youths were more likely when they have five or more drinks of an
than youths from other racial/ alcoholic beverage once or twice a week.3
ethnic groups to believe that Responses were analyzed by racial/ethnic
their parents would strongly subgroups for comparative purposes.
disapprove of their drinking
one or two alcoholic beverages Prevalence of Alcohol Use
nearly every day According to the 2000 NHSDA, approximately
835,000 youths aged 12 to 17 in the United
z Asian youths were more likely States were Asian. Asian youths were less likely
than youths from other racial/ to have used alcohol during the past year than
ethnic groups to have Hispanic, white, or American Indian/Alaska
perceived great risk from Native youths (Figure 1). Asian youths were also
less likely to engage in binge or heavy alcohol use
having five or more drinks of than Hispanic, white, or American Indian/Alaska
an alcoholic beverage once or Native youths.
twice a week Combined 1999 and 2000 data show that
among Asian youths, females (19 percent) were

The NHSDA Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA.
Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available on-line: http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov.
Citation of the source is appreciated.
NHSDA REPORT: LOW RATES OF ALCOHOL USE AMONG ASIAN YOUTHS September 13, 2002

Figure 1. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17 Reporting Figure 2. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17 Reporting
Past Year Alcohol Use, “Binge” Alcohol Use,† or Heavy Past Year Alcohol Use, by Race/Ethnicity and Gender:
Alcohol Use,† by Race/Ethnicity: 2000 Annual Averages Based on 1999 and 2000 NHSDAs

37.2
36.3

40% 40%
35.0

32.4
33.1

30% 30%
26.4

21.4
21.2

20% 19.2
20%

12.8
11.9

11.0

10%
10%
4.4

4.0
3.1

2.7

2.7
0.8

0.9

0%
White Black Hispanic Asian American 0%
Indian/ Asian Other Racial/Ethnic
Past Year Groups**
Alaska Males
“Binge”
Race/Ethnicity* Native Females Race/Ethnicity
Heavy

less likely than males (26 percent) to ents did not disapprove.4,5 The 2000 End Notes
have used alcohol during the past NHSDA found that Asian youths
1. Binge alcohol use was defined as drinking five
year (Figure 2). Among youths from were more likely to think their parents or more drinks on the same occasion (at the
other racial/ethnic groups, females would strongly disapprove of their same time or within a couple of hours of each
(35 percent) were more likely to have drinking one or two alcoholic bever- other) on at least 1 day in the past 30 days. A
drink was defined as a can or bottle of beer, a
used alcohol during the past year ages nearly every day (92 percent) glass of wine or a wine cooler, a shot of liquor,
than males (33 percent). compared with youths from other or a mixed drink containing liquor. Heavy alco-
hol use was defined as drinking five or more
racial/ethnic groups (88 percent). drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or
more days in the past 30 days.
Variations Across Asian 2. The three response categories were (1)
Subgroups Perceived Risk of Alcohol strongly disapprove, (2) somewhat disapprove,
or (3) neither approve nor disapprove.
Use
Combined 1999 and 2000 data 3. The four response categories were (1) no risk,
show that Filipino youths were more Past research indicates a relation- (2) slight risk, (3) moderate risk, or (4) great
risk.
likely to have used alcohol during the ship between substance use and
4. Hawkins, J.D., Catalano, R.F., & Miller, J.Y.
past year than Chinese or Asian perception of risk associated with (1992). Risk and protective factors for alcohol
Indian youths (Figure 3). However, use; substance use is generally lower and other drug problems in adolescence and
the rates of binge drinking for Asian among those who perceive great risk early adulthood: Implications for substance
abuse prevention. Psychological Bulletin, 112,
Indians and Filipino youths were sim- associated with use.5 Asian youths 64-105.
ilar, and both were higher than the (51 percent) were more likely than 5. Lane, J., Gerstein, D., Huang, L., & Wright, D.
rate for Chinese youths (Figure 4). youths from other racial/ethnic (2001). Risk and protective factors for adoles-
cent drug use: Findings from the 1997 National
groups (43 percent) to perceive great Household Survey on Drug Abuse (Analytic Se-
risk of having five or more drinks of ries: A-12, DHHS Publication No. SMA 01-
Perceptions of Parental an alcoholic beverage once or twice 3499). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration.
Attitudes Regarding a week.
Alcohol Use
Previous research has shown lower
rates of substance use among youths
whose parents disapproved of such
use than among youths whose par-
September 13, 2002 NHSDA REPORT: LOW RATES OF ALCOHOL USE AMONG ASIAN YOUTHS

Figure 3. Percentages of Asian Youths Aged 12 to 17 Figure 4. Percentages of Asian Youths Aged 12 to 17
Reporting Past Year Alcohol Use, by Racial/Ethnic Reporting “Binge” Alcohol Use, by Racial/Ethnic
Subgroups: Annual Averages Based on 1999 and 2000 Subgroups: Annual Averages Based on 1999 and 2000

40% 7%

6% 5.8
29.5 5.4
30%
24.9 5% 4.5
22.2
19.6 4% 3.5
20%
16.0
3%

10% 2%
1.1
1%

0% 0%
Filipino Korean Japanese Chinese Asian Filipino Korean Japanese Chinese Asian
Indian Indian
Racial/Ethnic Subgroup*** Racial/Ethnic Subgroup***

The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) is an annual

Figure Notes
† “Binge” Alcohol Use is defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same
occasion on at least 1 day in the past 30 days. By “occasion” is meant at
the same time or within a couple hours of each other. Heavy Alcohol Use is
defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5
or more days in the past 30 days; all Heavy Alcohol Users are also “Binge”
Alcohol Users.
* Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander and youths reporting more than one
race are not included in these analyses.
** Includes white, black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, Native Ha-
waiian/Other Pacific Islander, and more than one race.
*** This table is not an exhaustive summary of all racial/ethnic subgroups. Na-
tive Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander, and Vietnamese respondents and
those who reported a racial/ethnic subgroup that is rare in the United
States, or who reported more than one racial/ethnic subgroup, are not in-
cluded.
Source (Figure 1): SAMHSA 2000 NHSDA; (Figures 2–4): SAMHSA 1999 and
2000 NHSDAs.
survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA). The 1999 and 2000 data are based on
information obtained from nearly 142,000 persons aged 12 or older (about
70,000 each year), including more than 50,000 youths aged 12 to 17 (more
than 25,000 each year). The survey collects data by administering
questionnaires to a representative sample of the population through face-
to-face interviews at their place of residence.
The NHSDA Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS),
SAMHSA, and by RTI in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
Information and data for this issue are based on the following publications
and statistics:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2000).
Summary of findings from the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug
Abuse (NHSDA Series: H-12, DHHS Publication No. SMA 00-3466).
Rockville, MD: Author.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2001).
Summary of findings from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug
Abuse (NHSDA Series: H-13, DHHS Publication No. SMA 01-3549).
Rockville, MD: Author.
Also available on-line from http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov.
Additional Tables 2.46B, 2.51B, 2.61B, and 2.66B from
http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/nhsda/2kdetailedtabs/Vol_1_Part_2/V1P2.htm
and Tables 3.12B, 3.30B, and 7.2A from http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/nhsda/
2kdetailedtabs/Vol_1_Part_3/V1P3.htm.
Additional tables available upon request.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Office of Applied Studies
www.samhsa.gov