An analysis of Asian-American adults from the NESARC Wave 2 sample showed that Asians reported the least amount of drinking compared with other groups. However, heterogeneity in alcohol consumption existed within this group, with Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Chinese subpopulations reporting the highest per-capita annual alcohol consumption and Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indian/Afghan/Pakistani, and Indonesian groups reporting the lowest consumption (Cook et al. 2012). The level of acculturation, measured by the use of the subject’s native Asian language, also influenced patterns of alcohol consumption. Among Asian Americans from countries of origin with low per-capita annual alcohol consumption, the probability of being a current drinker was highest among those who reported low use of Asian languages. Among Asian Americans from countries of origin with higher per-capita annual alcohol consumption, the probability of being a current drinker was similar regardless of Asian-language use (Cook et al. 2012).
