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영어

Purpose: This study presents the process of establishing standard drink and guidelines for low risk drinking in Korea in 2018. In addition, the discourses emerged with regards to low risk guidelines among experts and the general public are analyzed. Method: To understand drinking behaviors of Koreans, an online survey was conducted (n=3,000), which was representative of the Koreans (19-59 years old) who have ever drunk within a month as of April 2018. Delphi survey were completed to ensure validity of the drinking guidelines. Focus group interviews were performed to examine the effectiveness and communicability of the proposed guidelines. To share the final version of the guidelines among experts and the general public, a meeting was organized. Result: It is adopted to set a standard drink as seven grams of alcohol, given the usual cup for Soju, the most prevalent type of alcohol in Korea, contains this much alcohol. As for the low risk guidelines, however, it is concluded that no consensus has been reached. Experts were divided between those who support teetotalism and drinking in moderation, and those who endorse macro-economic policies and alcohol education. The general public were further diverged by emphasizing benefits of alcohol and suggesting much higher levels of alcohol for a realistic guideline. Conclusion: Promoting low risk drinking through guidelines is a strategic approach to reduce alcohol consumption in Korea, where alcohol industry is strong and drinking is culturally pervasive. In reality, however, the discourses are too diverse to draw a common conclusion. The findings suggest that a more comprehensive and open public consultation which encompasses a bigger group of experts and the general public is needed. It can be suggested that, adoption of concepts such as lower risk drinking and lifetime risk has potential to reduce disagreement.