SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Korea BIzwire) — The high-risk alcohol consumption rate, which waned in prominence during and shortly after the pandemic, has been steadily rising since last year due to the lifting of quarantine restrictions.
According to a study conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the rate of high-risk alcohol consumption among South Korean adults reached 12.6 percent last year, marking a 1.6 percentage point increase from the previous year.
This was in contrast to the 10.9 percent rate recorded in 2020.
When examining cities and provinces, Gangwon Province exhibited the highest rate at 16.1 percent, whereas Sejong showcased the lowest rate at 6.1 percent.
At the county level, Gangwon’s Jeongseon County (22.1 percent), Yanggu County (20.6 percent), and Cherwon County (20 percent) displayed some of the most elevated alcohol consumption rates in the nation.
Roughly 80 percent of the regions with the highest rates of high-risk alcohol consumption displayed a healthy life expectancy lower than the national average (70.9 years).
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