A recent study lists the Chinese as drinking more per year on average than the Brits

[SteamboatBillJr]

The Chinese Now Drink Harder Than You and Your Washed-Up College Buddies
A recent study lists the Chinese as drinking more per year on average than the Brits and Americans.
Written by Ryan Joseph | March 20, 2015 at 5:00 pm


The drinking prowess of countries like the United States, Germany, and England is notorious. But it seems that even in this respect, a key economic rival has usurped all three.

According to Quartz, the Chinese now drink more alcohol per year on average than developed countries with more renowned boozing cultures. The publication points to a recent paper published by U.K. medical journal The Lancet, which summarizes how the cash flow from the country’s growing middle-class has lead to an increase in drinking.

Here’s the catch: More than half of the country’s citizens abstain from alcohol use—42% of men and 71% of women above the age of 15 in 2010—so the vast majority of the imbibing comes from a smaller subset of the population. Those who do drink consume an average of 15.1 liters of alcohol per year. Compare that to the United States’ average, and Chinese citizens who drink down almost two whole liters more than Americans.

As The Lancet notes, this is a problem. While the country has made inroads in addressing the health issues that arise from smoking tobacco, it has left alcohol abuse “largely neglected.” And it might be people’s jobs—and even the government—that are exacerbating the abuse.

Today, drinking with clients and colleagues is seen as vital to career advancement. Some job advertisements highlight “good drinking capacity” as a potential requirement for their candidates.

There are many news reports that heavy drinking has become a part of official duties for some civil servants and officials, and, in one study, a fifth of Government employees in a Chinese city were found to have fatty liver disease due to heavy drinking.

One way the country could decrease consumption? Tax booze more heavily. The paper notes that several tariff and tax increases have led to decreased consumption, while chopping them led to increased consumption.

http://firstwefeast.com/drink/china-drinks-more-than-developed-world/

 

[SteamboatBillJr]

Many countries have drinking problems. I thought the Irish were big drinkers. I could focus in another direction. This says the problem is worse in China.

 

[Mysterie]

i read the title and thought this was gonna be about how the chinese are healthier because they drink more water than the brits .

as with all of the worlds problems, it can be solved by legalising weed, we all know that wont happen for 100 years tho

 

[Jabberwocky]

I believe it. Although I'm certainly no big drinker, I was really impressed (if that's the right word) with how much some of the people I spent time with in Sth and Cntrl China could handle. And it didn't much even faze most of them. Most people didn't drink much if at all, but some of the people I spent time with definitely made up for it.

I do see some leading stereotypes/assumptions in the articles that bother me, but I can't hope for too much I guess...

 

[Crankinit]

Is there a country out there that doesn't claim to be "one of the biggest alcohol consumers in the world"?

 

[ThePharmacist4925]

I was just in China (Hong Kong) and Japan less than a week ago and drinking seems to be much more socially acceptable over there. In Japan people were openly drinking in public areas, but I will say that I didn't see anyone making a scene of any kind. Alcohol was much cheaper over there as well and not only because dollar is strong compared with the yen. Alcohol is just more socially acceptable over in the East, therefore people drink more often. I didn't see a single wasted Asian person on my trip but I saw some drunk Americans in my hotel, I'm sure if I would've been in the right place I would've seen wasted locals but it does seem that they are more controlled in there drinking.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Isn't Russia the biggest alcohol abuser?

 

[Jabberwocky]

Just like Crankinit said...