In order to investigate drinking problems in rural districts, we conducted a questionnaire in 8 rural areas (Obihiro, Tsuchiura, Shizuoka, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tokushima, Ehime, and Kagoshima).
The questionnaire was conducted on 2024 males. The average age of them is 51 years. And about half of them are farmers. Others are clerical workers, managerial officers, skilled laborers, fishermen and so on.
According to KAST (Kurihama Alcoholism Screening Test) included in the questionnaire, the proportion of severe problem drinkers is about 17%.
Many problem drinkers drink almost everyday. And in general, their consumption of alcohol is 60cc/day or more.
Many drinkers replied that they drink “to get rid of stress”, “on business”, “with friends”, “to sleep well”.
In comparison with normal drinkers, problem drinkers tend to drink both in and out of their home. They also tend to drink more frequently out of their home. Their rules on health in regard to alcohol are not so different from those of normal drinkers, but in general, they don't practice those rules. Their estimate of their proper quantity of alcohol is higher than that of normal drinkers.

At institutions in 9 areas of all over Japan, epidemiological and clinical surveys and investigations have been performed on the relationship between alcohol drinking and health for inhabitants in agricultural and fishing villages. The ethanol cutaneous patch test showed about 40% ALDH2 defficiency in these subjects. There were remarkable defferences in the drinking behavior between these positive and negative 2 groups. Various factors affecting the drinking behavior of subjects are there congenital diathesis, sexual difference, natural and social differences as well as age and occupation. By drinking, various abnomalities have been observed in various indexes such as medical examinations namely, hepatic functions (γ-GTP, GOT, GTP, etc), lipids (HDL-C, TG, etc), circulating functions (blood pressure, pulse, etc), metabolisms (uric acid, blood sugar, etc), and pancreatic functions. Most of them are risk factors in adult diseases. Accordingly, through collective education for drinking, its effect can be observed earlier and it will be very important to educate individuals for health control.