Koreans Consume 7.9ℓ of Alcohol Annually... "Drink Slowly If You Drink"

by Yun Seulgi

Published 11 Dec.2022 07:00(KST)

Year-End with Many Drinking Appointments, Health Warning... The Harm of Secondhand Drinking Also a Concern

[Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] #. Last year, after a year-end company dinner, Mr. A, in his 50s, suffered a forehead laceration while heading home. At the time, Mr. A had consumed about two bottles of soju with 17 degrees alcohol content. He lost his balance and fell, hitting his forehead on a motorcycle's side mirror. As a result, Mr. A required approximately nine stitches.

Mr. A said, "I don't clearly remember how I got injured because I was intoxicated. I saw blood on the motorcycle's side mirror and thought that's where I got hurt." He added, "Maybe because I was drunk, the pain wasn't severe. It was only after my colleagues noticed I was bleeding heavily that I was taken to the hospital by ambulance."

However, even at the emergency room, he only received basic bleeding control treatment, and the suturing was done the next day. Mr. A explained, "They said surgery can't be done while intoxicated. So I went back to the hospital after sobering up to get the wound stitched. The wound was quite large, so even though it has healed now, a white scar remains."

During the year-end season filled with year-end parties, as drinking appointments increase, so do alcohol-related accidents. Drinking is a basic option at Korean year-end gatherings. While some people abstain from alcohol entirely, the problem lies in those who enjoy drinking excessively.

According to Statistics Korea on the 8th, the per capita alcohol consumption in South Korea in 2020 was 7.9 liters of pure alcohol (beer converted to 4-5%, wine 11-16%, distilled spirits 40% alcohol). This is lower than the OECD average per capita alcohol beverage consumption of 8.5 liters but higher than Japan's 6.7 liters, where solo drinking culture was established earlier than in Korea.

Citizens are selecting alcoholic beverages at a mart in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Frequent and heavy drinking makes self-control difficult. This is due to alcohol's addictive nature. Experts analyze that alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer.

On the 15th of last month, a joint research team including Professor Yoo Jung-eun from the Department of Family Medicine at Seoul National University Hospital Gangnam Center, Professor Shin Dong-wook from Samsung Seoul Hospital's Department of Family Medicine, and Professor Han Kyung-do from Soongsil University's Department of Statistics tracked 4,513,746 adults aged 40 and above who participated in national health screenings in 2009 and 2011. The results showed that even habitual drinkers who increased their alcohol intake had a higher risk of developing cancer.

The risk of cancer increased by 10% when moving from low-risk drinking to moderate-risk drinking, and by 17% when moving to high-risk drinking. Moderate-risk drinkers who became high-risk saw a 4% increase in risk. Drinking groups are classified as low-risk (less than 15g), moderate-risk (15-30g), and high-risk (over 30g) of alcohol. Fifteen grams of alcohol roughly corresponds to one 375mL can of beer or one and a half glasses of soju.

Alcohol consumption also directly affects mortality. According to the 'Cause of Death Statistics' released by Statistics Korea, the total number of deaths related to alcohol-related diseases in 2020 was 5,155. Moreover, alcohol causes indirect harm not only to the drinker but also to those around them.

Indirect alcohol harm refers to the social negative impacts caused by drinkers, including drunk driving accidents, disturbances and property damage caused by intoxicated individuals, and frequent workplace absences due to drinking.

Lee Hae-guk, director of the Korean Society of Addiction Psychiatry, explained, "A blood alcohol concentration above 0.08% is considered binge drinking," adding, "This can cause blackouts where consciousness is lost and disinhibition where one loses self-control." He continued, "Disinhibition is particularly dangerous because if one reaches a binge state quickly, the mind becomes intoxicated before the body, increasing the risk of becoming a victim or perpetrator of crime."

Director Lee advised, "It is better to drink slowly rather than in small amounts. You should eat plenty of side dishes and drink lots of water. Engaging in conversation and frequently going to the restroom also help. Instead of sitting throughout the drinking session, standing up and moving around helps you assess whether you are intoxicated or not."