The South Korean Government Encourages People To Stop Drinking Alcohol To Avoid Cancer

Source: JKNUS

By Judith Aparri

March 22, 2016

The South Korean government is encouraging its people to stop drinking alcohol to avoid cancer. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is tightening guidelines on alcohol consumption. While the old guidelines recommend drinking liquor of not over two glasses daily, the new ones will encourage not drinking at all, said The Chosun Ilbo.

The change comes from studies which suggest that consistent alcohol consumption of even small amounts increases the dangers of getting cancer. A recent study in Italy suggested drinking a glass of alcohol daily increases throat cancer risk by 17 percent, liver cancer by eight percent, colon cancer by seven, cancer of the esophagus by 30 and breast cancer by five percent.

In 2013, 74 percent of women in Korea drank at least once per month. More than 3,000 had cancer and drinking was suspected to have something to do with it. A thousand from it were dying.

The South Korean government is not just urging people to stop drinking alcohol alone, it has implemented several rules to discourage smoking as well. Aside from putting a limitation to alcohol drinking, the ministry likewise recommends its citizens to quit smoking, avoid passive or second hand smoking, stay away from salt and charred food, eat fruits and vegetables, exercise for 30 minutes daily five times a week and to maintain weight.

In 2014, the European Union changed its guidelines from not over two glasses of alcohol for men; and zero for women.

In 2014, Quartz reported South Korea as having the world’s biggest hard alcohol drinkers, with Koreans drinking an average of 13.7 shots of liquor weekly, the most in the world with no one coming close. Euromonitor said Russians came second, which was 6.3 shots a week while Filipinos roughly drink 5.4 shots and Americans 3.3 shots.

The site mentioned Soju, the fermented rice spirit loved by South Koreans as the reason for their unparalleled consumption of liquor. Liquor accounts much of the spirit market in the country.

In 2011, the South Korean government’s Ministry of Health and Welfare launched a marketing campaign to steer its citizens away from heavy drinking of alcohol. Koreans are known to drink fast to get drunk fast and such habit could lead to problematic situations like drunken violence.

A former foreigner in Korea posted on her blog her observation that alcohol is cheap and available everywhere and anytime. Drinking in South Korea is considered the best way to bond as well.