Alcohol Use in Turkish University Students and

The New Journal of Medicine 2008;25: 157-160
Original Article
Alcohol Use in Turkish University Students and
Relationship of Automobile Races
Emin METE 1, Mehtap ERKMEN 2, Ahmet KARADAĞ 1, Nükhet BAVBEK 2, Ferhat ÇATAL 1,
Cüneyt TAYMAN 1, Nurdan URAŞ 1, Uğur DİLMEN 3
1
Fatih University Faculty of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, ANKARA
Fatih University Faculty of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine, ANKARA
Zekai Tahir Burak Gynecology and Obstetrics Hospital Department of Newborn Medicine, ANKARA
2
3
ABSTRACT
As a part of automobile races organized in Turkey, we
investigated the drinking rate in
Turkish University
students and whether there is evidence that motor
racing is associated with increased risk of drinking in
young people.
A cohort study funded by the Chest Diseases and
Asthma Foundation was conducted in four universities in
Ankara, Turkey. Self-completed questionnaires were
administered to 1,000 young people that included
information on demographics, drinking history, drinkingrelated knowledge and attitudes, and information about
automobile races.
Total 31.6% of the participants were alcohol drinkers.
36.7% of participants were interested in automobile
races and 32.9% of those were drinkers. This ratio was
31.9% in those non-interested in races (p>0.05). Most
of non-alcohol drinkers didn’t approve that automobile
races are sponsored by alcohol and cigarette producers.
In conclusion, since automobile races are mostly
watched drinkers, advertising and sponsorship of alcohol
drinks producing companies have been seemed to reach
its aim in automobile races. Since nondrinkers are also
watching by races, restrictions on alcohol drinks
company
advertising
and
sponsorship,
including
automobile racing, must be effective parts of alcohol
control programs worldwide.
Key Words: Races, drinking, advertisement, sponsorship
INTRODUCTION
Automobile races are watched by an increasing
number of fans in our country. These are not only
a sports competition, but a competition of
technology and advertisements. While the speed,
power and resistance of the human body are
tested during the races, the cars are tested and
the car companies are able to exhibit their latest
technologies. Results of the races are announced
in two stages; one for the drivers and the other
for the teams (the car companies). Sponsorship of
this motor sport is a particularly effective way to
reach cigarette and alcohol markets. The product
is strongly associated with fast cars, risk taking,
danger, and fame, and therefore cannot be
equated with other advertising strategies. As a
part of automobile races organized in our country,
we planned a cohort study investigating whether
there is evidence that automobile racing is
associated with increased risk of drinking in young
people.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study survey was carried out among 1000
university students. The students were asked to
answer a 41-item questionnaire that included
information on demographics, drinking history,
drinking-related knowledge and attitudes, and
information about automobile races. Statistical
analyses were carried out using Chi-square tests.
P<0.05 was accepted to be statistically significant.
RESULTS
The study population consisted of 1000 people
(mean 29.49±5.1 years); 637 (% 63.7) were men
and 363 (% 36.3) were women. 31.6% of the
participans were alcohol drinkers. The drinking
ratio was 33.2% in women and 30.2% in men.
(p>0.05) (Table 1).
There was statistically significant difference about
age between drinkers and nondrinkers. As age
gets older, smoking gets frequent .
Also as economic status gets better, the drinking
rate increases.
In participants coming from large cities, drinking
ratio was higher than that of coming from small or
medium cities (p<0.05).
The drinking ratio was 34.1% in respondents
whose parents were drinking or smoking, but this
ratio was 28.1% in non-smoking or non-drinking
parent participants (p>0.05).
157
E. Mete et al.
Table 1. Different sociodemographical characters and drinking rates
Sociodemographical characters
Drinking
ratio (%)
Male
Female
Smoking or drinking parents
Non-smoking or non-drinking parents
Living with their family before university
Living apart from their families before university
Living in smoking enviroment
Living in non-smoking enviroment
Smoking
Non-smoking
Narcotic drug abuse
No narcotic drugs
Frequent sports activities
No sports
Obesity
Not obese
Interested in automobile races
No interested in automobile races
Wanting automobile races organized in Turkey
Not wanting automobile races organized in Turkey
Not approving automobile sponsorship to alcohol drinks producing company in automobile races
Approving automobile sponsorship to alcohol drinks producing company in automobile races
The drinking ratio was 33.1% in respondents that
went to boarding school before university and this
was 30.7% in lived with family group (p<0.05).
The drinking ratio was 31.6% in participants living
with their family during university period and this
ratio was 32.2% participants living apart from
their family (p>0.05).
37.7% of those living in a smoking environment
were drinking, and 21.1% of those living in a nonsmoking, non-drinking environment were drinking
(p<0.0001).
The drinking ratio was 35% in smokers and 24.2
% in non-smokers; thus smokers were drinking
significantly higher than non-smokers (p<0.01).
1.1% of participants were using drugs and 81.8%
of those were also drinking. Drinking ratio in drug
users was significantly high (p<0.01).
The drug usage ratio was 28.7% in drinkers and
0.2% in non-drinkers. The difference was
significant (p<0.0001).
Smoking ratio was 75.2% in drinkers and 64.9%
in non-drinkers The difference was significant
(p<0.01).
There was a positive correlation in between
cigarette and alcohol consumption of participants.
As daily cigarette consumption increases, alcohol
consumption is also increasing.
The drinking ratio was 37.8% in cigarette
adductors and 24.7% in non-adductors (p<0.0001).
Among the participants, the sporting ratio was
69.2%. The drinking ratio was 31.1% in sporting
group and 32.2% in non-sporting group (p> 0.05).
158
30.2
33.2
34.1
28.1
31.6
32.2
37.7
21.1
35
24.2
81.8
31.1
31.1
32.2
30.5
32.1
32.9
31.9
35.8
23.3
38.5
29.3
P
>0.05
>0.05
>0.05
<0.0001
<0.01
<0.01
>0.05
>0.05
>0.05
<0.001
<0.05
The obesity ratio was 21.1%. The drinking ratio
was 30.5 % in obese participants and 32.1% in
non-obese group (p>0.05).
36.7% of participants were interested in
automobile races and 32.9% of those were
drinkers. This ratio was 31.9% in those noninterested in races (p>0.05).
The ratio of participants who want the races to be
in their cities was 76.4% and 35.8% of those were
drinkers. 23.3% of those who don’t want the races
were drinkers (p<0.001).
The drinking ratio was 38.5% in those who don’t
support the sponsorship of alcohol producers for
automobile races (77.6%) and this ratio was
29.3% in supporting group (p<0.05).
In those who don’t want the automobile races to
be in our country only because of cigarette
advertisement prohibition in Europe, drinking ratio
was 30.7% and in those who want the races this
ratio was 32.7% (p>0.05).
DISCUSSION
In europe, alcohol consumption is 11 liters per
person (It was 15 liter in 1970)1. In our country,
the prevalence of alcohol consumption are lower
than that of the USA and West Europe. The
drinking ratio is higher among men than women.
This ratio is lower among university students in
Turkey than that of in the USA. The first harmful
habit is drinking whereas in our country it comes
in second place after smoking2.
E. Mete et al.
According to a study of Önal et al in 1986, 11.8%
of university students were continuously drinking
in Istanbul and this ratio was 7.5% in Burdur3. In
another study of Turkey in 1998, the prevalence
of alcohol consumption was %36.54. We found
this ratio is 31.6% and this is upsetting for us
because it shows the increase in drinking ratio in
this period. But still our drinking ratios are lower
than that of the USA and West Europe2.
Among university students, drinking ratio of women
was higher. This shows that while intellectual level
increases, drinking ratio of women is also
increasing.
In our study, while income level was increasing
the drinking ratio was also increasing. This may be
due to easy reaching alcohol with the increased
income.
The advertisement companies are encouraging
drinking but there are also some companies
against drinking and we may say that they are
also successful. In those living with smoking and
drinking parents or living in a smoking drinking or
drug using environment, drinking ratio was
higher. This shows that this habit is starting with
the influence of environment. Being some people
with those habits around students, will be the
main factor that increases the drinking rates.
Most of the participants were against the
advertisement of alcohol in both drinkers and nondrinkers. This shows the consciousness of
students about the harmful substances.
In Europe and Mediterranean countries, in young
adults, the drinking ratio is higher than that of
Northern Europe. In Italy, 10% of children in
between the ages of 13-16, are drinking
everyday. In wine consuming Southern European
countries, like France, wine and liquor are
consumed only with the meal as an aperitif. But
nowadays, bear and grain alcohol consumption is
increased and they are not only consumed with
the meal but also after meals especially in late
afternoons and at nights. In Northern European
countries, the alcohol consumption rate is a little
higher; drinking is seen in any time of the day and
in larger amounts5,6.
In young adults, drug usage is commonly as poly
substance usage and it brings traffic accidents,
social
behavioral
disorders
(aggressiveness,
truancy, assault, stealing) and risky sexual activity
with it. Adolescents and young adults are a group
dealing
with
sport
activities
and
media,
advertisement of alcohol in those places will
increase alcohol consumption and social problems
of alcohol7. In our study using another substance
was significantly high in any drug users. This was
159
correlating with the study of Lo et al. In this study
it is indicated that smoking is predisposing factor
for drinking8. In study of Jensen et al, in early
adolescence it’s indicated that drinking is a
facilitating factor for starting smoking later9.
In a study of Mayhew et al, young people are at
grater risk of death and injuries resulting from
alcohol-related crashes than are older people. Of
the fatally injured drivers aged 26-35 years in
2000, 28.0% had a blood alcohol concentration
above the legal limit10. Although rates of
involvement in alcohol-related crashes among new
drivers (16 and 17 years old) are similar to those
among drivers over 25, the younger drivers are 3
times as likely, per kilometer driven, to die11. We
should
support
the
civilian
community
organizations
(e.g.;Mothers
Against
Drunk
Drivers= MADD) that work for decreasing the rate
of young people driving with alcohol. And also we
should limit the advertising companies that cause
young people start smoking and drinking. Alcohol
is contributing to 33.8% of deaths due to traffic
accidents12. In automobile races and other sport
activities, giving sponsorship cigarette and alcohol
producing firms or taking advertisement from
those firms may cause the fact that more young
people start smoking and drinking. So, it may be
proper to rearrange the advertisement and
sponsorship laws. At least, it may be provided not
to use sportive activities as a tool for
advertisements of harmful habits like alcohol and
cigarette.
In those dealing with automobile races, the
drinking ratio was higher. This may show the
effectiveness
of
cigarette
and
alcohol
advertisements during races, on people. Alcohol
advertisements are intensively seen in media, also
other than the races.
Among drinkers, the ratio of people wanting races
to be in their city was significantly high. This may
be due to that; they want to see the brands, they
are using, in their city and economical contribution
of races.
Non- drinkers were more conscious about the
herms of alcohol and alcohol advertisements.
Because of this they don’t want the sponsorship of
alcohol producers for races.
As a result; drinking is to be described as a
multifactorial disease. One of the strongest
influences are alcohol drink advertisements.
Restrictions on alcohol drink company advertising
and sponsorship, including automobile racing
motor-racing, must be effective parts of alcohol
control programmes worldwide.
E. Mete et al.
REFERENCES
1. Alcohol in europe. A public health perspective. A report for the
European Commission. Peter Anderson and Ben Baumberg. Institute of
Alcohol Studies, UK June 2006 page 4.
2. ESPAD (European School survey Project on Alcohol and Other
Drugs). Alcohol and other drug use among students in 26 European
countries. www.espad.org.
3. Onal AE, Tumerdem Y, Ozel S. Smoking addiction among
university students in Istanbul. Addict Biol 2002;7: 397-402.
4. Metintaş S, Sariboyaci MA, Nuhoğlu S, Metintaş M, Kalyoncu C,
Etiz S, et al. Smoking patterns of university students in Eskişehir, Turkey.
Public Health. 1998;112: 261-4.
5. Arvers P, Choquet M. Regional variations in alcohol use among
young people in France. Epidemiological approach to alcohol use and abuse
by adolescents and conscripts. Drug Alcohol Depend 1999;56: 145-55.
6. Van Reek J, Adriaanse H, Knibbe R. Alcohol consumption and
correlates among children in the European Community. Int J Addict 1994;
29: 15-21.
7. Dent CW, Drube JW, Biglan A. Community level alcohol availability
and enforcement of possesion laws as predictors of youth drinking. Prev
Med 2005;40: 355-62.
8. Lo SK, Blaze-Temple D, Binns CW, Ovenden C. Adolescent cigarette
consumption; the influence of attitudes and peer drug use. Int J Addict
1993;28: 1515-30.
160
9. Jensen MK, Sorensen T, Andersen AT, Thorsen M, Tolstrup JS,
Godtfredsen NS, et al. A prospective study of the association between
smoking and later alcohol drinking in the general population. Addiction
2003;98: 355-63.
10. Mayhew DR, Brown SW, Simpson HM. The alcohol-crash problem
in Canada: 2000. Ottawa:tarnsport Canada , 2002.
11. Involvement by young drivers in fatal alcohol-related motorvehicle crashes-United States,1982-2001. MMWR Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep
2002,51: 1089-91.
12. Shults RA, Elder RW, Sleet DA, Nichols JL, Alao MO, Carande-Kulis
VG, et al. Rewiews of evidence regarding interventions to reduce alcoholimpaired driving (rewiew). Am J Prev Med 2001;21: 66-88.
Correspondence:
Emin METE M.D.
Fatih University Medical Faculty Division of Allergy, Hosdere-Ankara
e-mail: [email protected]
Received
: 06.03.2008
Acceptance date
: 28.08.2008