Alcohol Consumption and Poverty: Alcohol Impoverishment and Patterns of Alcohol Consumption among Different Socio-economic Groups

Abstract

This study investigated the situation of alcohol consumption and poverty in three aspects. First, the study examined the effect of alcohol on household poverty. Second, the study investigated distribution of alcohol expenditure across households with different socio-economic status (SES). Third, the study determined the pattern of alcohol consumption across SES. The study employed secondary data analyses from two nationally representative surveys, Household Socio-Economic Survey during 2000-2010, and Cigarette Smoking and Alcohol Drinking Behavior Survey in 2011. The effect of alcohol expenditure on poverty at household level was examined through the use of catastrophic concept and poverty line. Households that spent on alcohol exceeding 10% of household consumption expenditures were considered as financial catastrophic. Moreover, the households being trapped under the poverty line due to alcohol expenditure were considered as alcohol impoverishment. Lorenz curve was used to investigate the distribution of alcohol expenditure. Also, the study used logistic regression to examine the relationship between regular binge drinking and SES. Sampling weight was applied in order to be national representative. The finding showed that poorest households had higher percentage of financially catastrophic situation compared to their counterparts. Inequality in household catastrophic due to alcohol expenditure between the richest and poorest quintile was increased over decade. Each year, more than 140,000 Thai households faced with alcohol impoverishment. Moreover, there were differences in alcohol impoverishment across regions. The highest level was observed in the north of Thailand and the lowest in Bangkok. Furthermore, people living in rural areas tended to face alcohol more impoverishment than urban areas. Although alcohol expenditure was highly concentrated among the rich, the poor faced with more economic burden. The differences in consumption patterns existed across SES. The poor tended to be regular binge drinkers than the rich.