Residents of South Korea have ousted Russians from the pedestal of the world's heaviest drinking nation
Top 10 countries of alcoholics according to Euromonitor
1. South Korea (13.7 drinks per week)
2. Russia (6.3)
3. Philippines (5.4)
4. Thailand (4.5)
5. Japan (4.4)
6. Bulgaria (3.9)
7. Ukraine (3.9)
8. Slovakia (3.8)
9. Brazil (3.6)
10. USA (3.3)
A drink of alcohol is considered 340 grams of dry wine or beer, 140 grams of fortified wine, or 42 grams of vodka and other high-proof drinks.
First cheap, then expensive
The favorite drink of Korean men and women is a traditional national one. It is called soju, it is quite strong (alcohol content can range from 20 to 45 percent), clear and slightly sweet. It is made from rice grains.
Alcohol in South Korea is affordable, but in the end it comes out golden. The country has the highest number of alcoholics in the world, and the associated social costs, according to the national Ministry of Health, cost the state more than $20 billion annually.
Drinking is good
Not all Koreans understand that alcohol is harmful. Many believe that without it they cannot relieve stress and relax (the working day in the country is one of the longest in the world).
A banker from Seoul, Seo Song-pom, told Al Jazeera that he considers joint drinking a good way to establish business contacts in an informal setting. He denies that the goal of alcoholic marathons with business partners is the effect of intoxication. 'It's just networking. In the office, we can't be that open. And after this, we'll have something to remember together,' the man believes and goes to a club with his colleagues.
One of the banker's 'business drinking buddies,' Brent Lee, works at the Korean Banking Federation. He does not think he drinks a lot or that professional-friendly drunken outings are dangerous. According to Lee, drinking people benefit society because they know how to relieve accumulated nervous tension.
'Women have started drinking more'
Police officers responsible for order in the busiest and most cheerful district of Seoul disagree with the bankers. Officer Jang, for example, realized the scale of citizens' drinking only after starting her service in 2015. Choi, Jang's partner, says that in recent years Koreans' enthusiasm for alcohol has been growing.
'Women have especially started hitting the bottle. This is very regrettable,' the police officer laments. The police increasingly have to deal with incidents involving intoxicated people.
The police believe they cannot influence the situation: 'People have started having more fun and drinking. If we try to intervene, they often behave aggressively.' Jang and Choi reminded that in South Korea there are no laws providing for liability for drunkenness and brawling.
Knowledge is power
The government is in no hurry to invest in anti-alcohol social campaigns, says Cheon Seon-soo from the Korean Health Workers Association. Koreans, according to him, lack information about the harms of alcohol – at least about the fact that regular drinking leads to serious liver pathologies.
'There are no official guidelines on what it means to drink too much,' the expert admits. Cheon Seon-soo says that the Health Workers Association has been trying unsuccessfully for about 20 years to propose measures that would help reduce alcohol consumption: raising alcohol prices, controlling sales volumes, restricting related advertising (which also involves celebrities as role models).
When it's too late to drink Borjomi
The older generation understands the consequences of regular alcohol consumption, but sometimes too late – for example, when a diagnosis of 'liver cirrhosis' has already been made.
Well, young people have made alcohol a part of their daily lives. Student Jeon Shin says she has a drink about five times a week with friends. She and her classmates often study for 18 hours a day and do not know a better way to relax.
'I already think that maybe I am a bit of an alcoholic. Usually it's me who suggests going for a drink. It often ends with hugging the toilet and a hangover,' the girl says.
At the same time, the student cannot imagine that her fellow citizens will ever drink more moderately: 'Alcohol is part of leisure time with family and friends. There is something very exciting about Korean drinking culture. So I don't think we will ever drink less. Or that we should think about it.'
Anna LOGUTOVA.
«Lenta.ru»