PUTRAJAYA: More than 45 per cent of alcohol drinkers in Malaysia engage in binge-drinking, according to the 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS).
Based on the survey results, it said 45.1 per cent of current alcohol drinkers in Malaysia engage in binge-drinking, marking a troubling trend in the drinking pattern among Malaysians who consume alcohol.
"Harmful alcohol use refers to drinking that causes detrimental health and social consequences for the drinker.
"Binge-drinking, which is a form of harmful drinking, is defined as those who consume six or more standard alcoholic drinks in one sitting," the report said.
The NHMS said among those who drank alcohol in the past 12 months, 1 in 2 drink excessively.
From this, 75 per cent were men. A total of 55 per cent were between the ages of 20-39, and 27 per cent do so at least once a week.
The survey also recorded a decrease in the prevalence of current alcohol drinkers to 10.4 per cent, compared to 11.8 per cent in 2019.
The NHMS was launched today by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The NHMS is an annual research conducted by the Health Ministry to gather information on health and determine the prevalence of diseases and related risk factors among the population in Malaysia.
Data collection was carried out in urban and rural areas, in all states and federal territories, between July and Sept 2023.
A total of 13,616 respondents of all ages participated in the survey.