10% of Thais at risk due to heavy drinking, study shows
At least 10% of people in Thailand have indulged in heavy drinking over the past 12 months, a recent report released on Monday by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation shows.
According to the study, people in the North are the heaviest drinkers, followed by those in the Northeast. Over the last year, 5.73 million people or 10.05% were found to have demonstrated signs of alcoholism.
Such heavy drinking has resulted in alcohol becoming the second leading cause of death in Thailand, after smoking.
Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, director of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, warned that alcohol abuse causes severe liver conditions like hepatitis, fatty liver infiltration, cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.
“Heavy drinking causes high amounts of liver enzymes to leak into the bloodstream,” he explained.
In December 2023, the World Health Organisation’s AUDIT or Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test found that 31.25% or 4,236 of the 13,556 participants were at risk of liver disease. Among those at risk, 3,469 agreed to have their liver tested, and it was found that 24.47% or 849 had abnormal liver enzyme levels.
Pongthep clarified that liver enzyme tests provide empirical evidence of alcohol's effects on liver health. A value exceeding 40 units/litre indicates abnormal liver function.
While various factors can cause abnormal liver function, including certain medications, hepatitis, fatty liver disease, genetic abnormalities, environmental toxins, and metabolic diseases like diabetes, alcohol remains one of the most significant contributors to liver damage.
The director warned that regular excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to symptoms like fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, yellowing of the eyes, jaundice, and discomfort under the right rib cage due to liver inflammation. These symptoms may eventually progress to cirrhosis.
“If you stop drinking, your liver will take at least one to three months to heal. As a result, there are anti-drinking campaigns during the Buddhist Lent period every year. People should get their liver tested, so they are aware of their health and will eventually quit drinking,” he said.
