Alcohol Advertising Exposure and Drinking Habits Among Chinese Adolescents in 2021: A National Survey.

This article focuses on the exposure of Chinese adolescents aged 13 to 18 years to proalcohol advertising and its association with alcohol consumption, based on a nationally representative 2021 school-based survey. Findings indicate that 66.8% of students reported exposure to proalcohol advertising in the past 30 days, primarily through television (51.8%), the Internet (43.6%), and outdoor billboards (42.0%), with no significant differences by gender or urban-rural residence. Exposure was positively correlated with alcohol consumption in the past 30 days and 12 months (adjusted odds ratios of 1.29 and 1.30, respectively), though no significant link was found with drunkenness. The study highlights gaps in China's current partial regulations on alcohol advertising, especially regarding outdoor and digital media, and suggests that comprehensive bans may be necessary to reduce adolescent exposure.