Japan launches competition to encourage young people to drink more alcohol

Japan wants to revive alcohol consumption among young people, and take advantage of this financial windfall. At the beginning of July, the country launched “Sake Viva! campaign to encourage Japanese people aged 20-39 to share their innovative advertising ideas to stimulate demand for alcohol among young people. Possible sources of inspiration include sake, shochu, whiskey, beer or Japanese wine.

The campaign follows a long-running effort by the Japanese government to revitalize the spirits sector. Earlier this year, the Japanese tax authorities launched a similar initiative – the “Enjoy Sake!” » – to promote the sale of alcoholic beverages.

The Covid crisis has plagued the sector. The closure of bars and other establishments that sell alcohol, due to the restrictions, has caused a drop in sales and alcohol-related tax revenues, according to the BBC.

“As working from home has progressed during the Covid 19 crisis, many people may have come to wonder whether they should continue drinking”told the daily “The Guardian” a Japanese tax official.

A generational gap

In the Land of the Rising Sun, alcohol consumption has been declining for ten years and is generational. According to CNNin Japan, about 30% of people aged 40 to 60 drink regularly – either three or more days each week. Among the 20 year olds, they are only 8%.

The campaign website also discusses demographic changes, such as the aging of the population and the falling birth rate.

Nearly one in four French people consume too much alcohol, according to Public Health France

However, this drop in consumption weighs on the country’s budget. Taxes on alcoholic beverages were an important source of revenue for the government. In 1980, they were responsible for 5% of global revenue, compared to 1.7% in 2021. This is the biggest drop in the last 31 years according to the “JapanTimes”.

A criticized campaign

On the internet, the launch of this campaign provoked some tweets from disgruntled users, explains CNN, who protest against this incitement to drink against traditional public health discourses. An Inserm report published in June 2021 states that “all consumption − even weak − has a deleterious effect on health”.

In an interview with the British daily “The Guardian”, the Japanese Ministry of Health, meanwhile, said ” to hope “ that the campaign also reminds people to drink only the “appropriate amount of alcohol”.

“Any alcohol consumption, even low”, carries a health risk, concludes Inserm

Internet users have already begun to submit their projects and will be able to continue to do so until September 9. The best suggestions will then be developed with the help of experts, before the final proposals are presented in November.