The Gendered Effect of Marriage on Smoking in Japan

Emi Tamaki, Ritsumeikan University

This paper examines the gender difference in the effect of marriage on drinking in Japan. Using the nationally representative sample of young adults aged 20 to 40 (N=4800), this study finds that compared to currently-married and never-married individuals, divorced/widowed men and women are more likely to be frequent drinkers. This study also finds that the association between marriage and drinking differs greatly by gender: married women are slightly less likely to drink than their never-married counterparts, but married men are more likely to drink than never-married men. For both men and women, employment is associated with frequent drinking, suggesting the cultural context of drinking in the Japanese work environment.