ASOURCE Navi

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will create guidelines on appropriate drinking to prevent health damage caused by excessive drinking, and plans to publish them next year. The guidelines indicate the appropriate amount of alcohol to drink and how to drink according to age and physical constitution. Therefore, based on the data so far, we will summarize the drinking habits that have a high risk of harming health, the appropriate amount and how to drink, and a screening test that can detect problem drinking at an early stage.

Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol is said to improve blood circulation in the body, prevent arteriosclerosis, and help relieve mental stress. However, long-term heavy drinking leads to lifestyle-related diseases and causes various diseases such as liver damage, pancreatitis, dyslipidemia, and hyperuricemia. Above all, it puts a heavy burden on the liver, which is responsible for the metabolism of alcohol. The liver is said to be a silent organ, and by the time symptoms appear, it is often said to be severe. In addition, heavy drinking is known to increase the risk of oral cancer, pharynx/larynx cancer, and esophageal cancer. It is said that people whose face becomes red after drinking a small amount of alcohol are slow to decompose alcohol and are more likely to develop cancer and organ damage. Women break down alcohol at a slower rate than men, and are more likely to suffer organ damage from a small amount of alcohol.

厚生労働省の研究班によると、何らかのアルコール関連問題を有する人は国内で654万人、アルコール依存症者は80万人、依存症者とその予備群を含めると440万人、アルコールによる年間死亡者数は約3万5,000人と推計されています。飲み過ぎによる社会的損失は見積もれる範囲だけでも年間4兆1,483億円に達しているともいわれます。

In the “Health Japan 21” (2nd) national health promotion movement, in which the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare compiled goals for health, the amount of drinking that increases the risk of lifestyle-related diseases was reduced to 40g of pure alcohol per day for men and 40g for women. 20g or more. And as a moderate and appropriate amount of drinking, we recommend about 20 g of pure alcohol intake per day. However, for elderly people and people with weak ability to break down alcohol, a smaller amount is appropriate.

If you drink a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time, the alcohol metabolism in the liver cannot keep up with it, and the blood alcohol concentration rises rapidly, which may be life-threatening. This is acute alcohol poisoning. If your blood alcohol concentration exceeds 0.4%, you will become intoxicated, your level of consciousness will decrease, and your brain, which controls breathing and circulation, will be damaged, increasing the risk of death. Also, if you become an alcoholic who cannot control the amount and time of drinking, you will experience withdrawal symptoms such as hand tremors and headaches if you do not drink.

There is a screening test "AUDIT" that can easily check if you are a heavy drinker and have concerns about alcohol dependence or pre-group. Sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), it consists of a total of 10 questions and is evaluated by the total score of each item. Regarding the amount of drinking, the unit of 10g = 1 drink is used in terms of pure alcohol. A score of 7 or less indicates no problem, a score of 8 to 14 indicates problem drinking, and a score of 15 or higher indicates a suspected alcohol dependence. If alcoholism is suspected, it may be necessary to see a specialist medical institution.

As a way to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, 1) Drink slowly 2) Decide how much to drink in advance 3) Drink while eating 4) Refrain from hopping hops (7) Drink non-alcoholic beer instead.

In other countries, there are guidelines on how much to drink and how to drink. For example, in the United States, "1 drink = 14 g of pure alcohol", "2 drinks / day or less" for men, "1 drink / day or less" for women, and "1 drink = 10 g of pure alcohol" in Australia, "10 g for both men and women". There are differences between countries, such as "drinks/less than a week". Considering the difference in physique, it makes sense that Japan has a relatively low value.