Association Between Age at Smoking Onset and Binge Drinking Among Adults in the Republic of Korea

We aimed at investigating the association between age at smoking onset and adult binge drinking among Korean adults. We cross-sectionally analyzed nationally representative secondary data obtained from 11,296 adults in 2013. We conducted survey data analyses to incorporate a complex sampling design in our analyses. Specifically, we conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis to investigate the relationship of age at smoking onset with binge drinking. In our study, about 28% of adults were past 30-day binge drinkers. We found the greatest risks of past 30-day binge drinking among those who started smoking at 14 years or younger. Additionally, greater risk of adult binge drinking was significantly associated with the male sex, younger age, higher income, employed status, past 30-day smoking, exercise, higher anxiety, and depressive feelings. Smoking prevention strategies should be implemented in earlier adolescence because they may play pivotal roles in reducing both alcohol- and cigarette-related problems in adulthood.