[Actual conditions of heavy drinkers in a community and measures against alcoholic problems]

We surveyed the health conditions of people in an area, as a baseline survey for a local plan of Healthy Japan 21. Among the 2,469 subjects, we selected 40 ones, as a drinker group, who drank alcohol more than 3 days a week (more than 60 g a day), and 80 ones, as a control group, whose gender, age and resident area were matched to the drinker group. More subjects took no breakfast in the drinker group than in the control group. More smoked and felt stress in the drinker group. Subjective health conditions were worse in the drinker group. Half in the drinker group took no annual health examination. Half in the drinker group wanted to reduce or quit alcohol, but felt that they could not do so and that the dissolution of stress was necessary to do so. The both groups had low understanding on alcoholism and little information on supporting organizations for alcoholic problems. These results suggest that measures against alcoholic problems in the area are encouraging people to take an annual health examination, giving them substantial guidance after a health examination for drinkers and intervention to raise the understanding on alcoholism.