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BackgroundThis study aimed to clarify the associations between the frequency and amount of alcohol consumption and problematic Internet use, such as Internet addiction and excessive Internet use.MethodsA self-administered questionnaire survey was administered to students enrolled in randomly selected junior and senior high schools throughout Japan, and responses from 100,050 students (51,587 males and 48,463 females) were obtained. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed in order to examine the associations between alcohol use and problematic Internet, use such as Internet addiction (Young Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction ≥5) and excessive Internet use (≥5 h/day).ResultsThe results of multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that the adjusted odds ratios for Internet addiction (YDQ ≥5) and excessive Internet use (≥5 h/day) became higher as the number of days in which alcohol had been consumed during the previous 30 days increased. In addition, the adjusted odds ratio for excessive Internet use (≥5 h/day) indicated a dose-dependent association with the amount of alcohol consumed per session.ConclusionsThis study revealed that adolescents showing problematic Internet use consumed alcohol more frequently and consumed a greater amount of alcohol than those without problematic Internet use. These findings suggest a close association between drinking and problematic Internet use among Japanese adolescents.

The aim of this study was to clarify the association between smoking and problematic Internet use (PIU), such as Internet addiction (IA) and excessive Internet use (EIU), among Japanese adolescents. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to students enrolled in randomly selected junior and senior high schools throughout Japan. Responses were obtained from 100,050 students (0.94:1 ratio of boys to girls). The prevalence of IA (as indicated by a Young Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction score ≥5) in all participants, boys, and girls was 8.1%, 6.4%, and 9.9%, respectively. The prevalence of EIU (≥5 hours/day) in all participants, boys, and girls was 12.6%, 12.3%, and 13.0%, respectively. The results of multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for IA and EIU were significantly higher among students who smoked (including those who previously smoked) than among those who never smoked (p < 0.01 for all comparisons). In addition, the AORs were the highest for students who smoked ≥21 cigarettes per day. The prevalence and AORs of IA and EIU tended to increase with smoking frequency and number of cigarettes smoked per day, indicating a dose-dependent relationship. Thus, IA and EIU have strong associations with smoking. This study revealed that adolescents who routinely smoked or those who smoked more cigarettes per day had a higher risk of PIU than adolescents who did not. These findings suggest that there is a close association between smoking and PIU among Japanese adolescents.