Journal of Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
Open Access

Abstract

Factors that Make Thai Teenagers Drink Alcohol

Katekanok Chumpradit and Suphanit Chansong

Thailand teenagers currently have more alcohol consumption habits. Especially in the younger age group, which the government has banned the sales of alcohol to children under 18 years old. However, the legislation was not applicable in practice. This research was a quantity research that aimed to correlate the relationship of factors that affected the alcohol consumption of Chiang Mai teenagers. The sample group consisted of 400 teenagers, who drink alcohol. The questionnaires were administered to collect data that, in turn, were analysed using multiple regressions in order to forecast the relationship of the variables that influence alcohol consumption among adolescents in Chiang Mai. Even though Thailand launched many campaigns about avoiding drinking alcohol or noticed the penalty for drinking alcohol, the results of the research found that the scores of the alcohol consumption among teenagers who live in Chiang Mai were higher than the overall average score. It can be seen that firstly, it is showed that more than half of the sample group consumed alcohol because of their friends as they wanted to be part of a group. Secondly, they had the wrong attitude that drinking alcohol made them cool. Finally, they drank alcohol because of family background or personal problems.