Drinking alcohol is an activity that is enjoyed globally. In the USA in 2013, at least 50% of people said they drank in the last month and approximately 70% drank in the last year according to the NIAAA Alcohol Facts and Statistics[1] page. I suspect that people drink more in the UK. According to an online Guardian news article[2], a group of UCL students did a report and found that my home county (not country), Yorkshire and Humber, drinks the most in the UK at between 15 to 25 units per week. Before talking about the cultural differences, it’s worth noting that a 2014 Japan Times’ article “Dealing With Addition”[3] on says that according to a health ministry research team, potentially 10 million people in Japan have a dependency problem with alcohol. This number has increased by 300,000 in the last decade and only 50,000 people are receiving treatment. Apparently, they seek help when it becomes too severe. But even though many Japanese people have a drinking problem or drink too much, they believe it’s normal and fine.
British people usually drink a lot too, but it’s most noticeable on the weekend when everybody goes to the pub to watch football games together. Many people drink from Lunch to Evening and then head home to relax. It’s a strange culture, and maybe it’s bigger in my home county than in other counties in the UK, but it’s not something new.
In Japan I think more people tend to go out and drink any day of the week. I think it also depends on their situation at work with coworkers and bosses. Going to the local Izakaya after work seems like normal everyday life, or even something that is seen as necessary to keep a good friendly relationship with people at work. We have to be careful and it’s important that we understand how much alcohol is harmful to our bodies no matter how fine we think we are.
[1] Alcohol Facts and Statistics | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
[2] How Much Alcohol Do We Really Drink? http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/feb/27/how-much-alcohol-do-we-really-drink
[3] Dealing With Addition: Japan’s Drinking Problem
- Do you know anybody with a drinking problem?
- Do you drink? How much? Do you think it’s healthy?
- What do you think about the drinking culture in Japan?
- Do you know any foreign drinking cultures? What do you think of them?
- How can we help people? Do you think it’s possible?
：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：：
英語が話せる！「SEI新宿英会話教室」 http://www.sayinsei.com/
♦〒160-0022 東京都新宿区新宿2-8-1 新宿セブンビル 606
♦メール: sei@kaonnuri.com TEL: 03-5925-8247
