More alcohol use seen in middle, high schoolers

Nearly 2 out of 5 have run away from home

An increasing number of South Korean middle and high schoolers are consuming alcohol.

According to a report released by the National Youth Commission on January 30, 47.6 percent of middle and high school students have consumed alcohol at least once in the past year, compared to 26.0 percent that had done so in 2002.

The commission conducted a survey of 14,430 middle and high school students across the nation last year.

More than half of the respondents who imbibed alcohol had one or two cups of soju on average - which has an alcohol content of around 20 percent - but 18.9 percent said they had more than one bottle of soju, which contains 360 ㎖ of alcohol. The teenagers said they consumed the alcohol at home or at convenience stores.

In addition, about 57.7 percent of the middle and high schoolers said they have "felt an urge to leave home," and 19.0 percent have actually run away from home. Regarding the reasons for leaving home, 28.3 percent mentioned trouble with their parents, 14.8 percent said their poor school records and 12.4 percent cited the atmosphere of stifling control they felt in their school lives. Another 10.8 percent left home for amusement.

About four out of 10 middle and high schoolers have experienced kissing and making out, compared to 22.2 percent in 2002. However, those who have had sexual contact dropped slightly to 3.9 percent, from 4.5 percent in 2005.

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