Alcohol consumption excessive among half of elderly male drinkers

I can feel a tax increase coming on.

Around half of elderly male drinkers aged 65 or older consume alcohol in excess of the Japanese government's health guideline of a 500-milliliter can of beer per day, a health ministry survey showed Sunday

You needed a survey to tell you that?? Hell, a trip to the local izakaya would have been more than sufficient.

If you don't have a vice, you don't have a life.

just choose one that doesn't harm anyone else.

@anderstugtwist that comment really shows your compassion and empathy. You do not understand other people's problems. One day it might be you, and someone will say cut off your insurance.

take away their healthcare benefits

How draconian and compassionless. Ironic, given that Richard Kiel (your avatar) struggled greatly with alcoholism.

The lack of respect towards the elderly here is stunning. I believed that Japanese seniors were treated with dignity and respect. No wonder some of them are enjoying the occasional extra drink or two.

Wait a minute, the government now sets the limit on consumption of alcohol. Some people have low tolerance some people high tolerance alcoholic tendency is not abortary. It would be better to provide support to spouses that suffer a partner who's drinking is negatively impacting their lives. Alcohol addiction can be curtailed once the problem is acknowledged.

Folks those cheap hi alcohol chu-hi's are slow poison just like that happoshu type crap, you have been warned!!

By all means enjoy a few cold ones, lord knows I do! But avoid the cheap crap, your body WILL thank you!

500ml of 5.5% beer limit? Damn, ........I am in SERIOUS trouble here! Lol!

The Queen of England has three gin and tonics a day and she's in her 90's - let the oldies enjoy their Golden years as they choice.

Doctor: You should cut down your alcohol consumption.

Old man: Will that make me live longer?

Doctor: I can't say for sure, but it will certainly feel like it.

Stop selling it to them at convenience stores when they're already drunk! I saw a guy yesterday CRAWLING to the refrigerators at the back of the store. He and his buds hadn't bought enough for their games of shogi in the park. When someone tried to help him he slurred and thanked them, then ran into the shelf and knocked over a bunch of stuff. Still, they sold him a pack of six one-cup ozekis without batting an eye.

Convienence is a problem like Smith I have seen old men passed out in the car park. One of the good things is if you want to drink it's easy to get, one of the bad things it's easy to get. It's a problem but one only an individual can fix. Proabition didn't work the only way forward is recognising the problem and viewing it as an addiction. A society change. It's not healthy or cool to be so drunk crawling is an option.

If half the elderly manage to make it to old age despite drinking over the health limit, that's clear evidence the limit is set too low.

"Wait a minute, the government now sets the limit on consumption of alcohol. Some people have low tolerance some people high tolerance alcoholic tendency is not abortary [sic]"

Tolerance has nothing to do with it. They are talking about detrimental effects on your body. Alcohol is, belive it or not, on the official list of carcinogens as put together THE National Cancer Institute. How drunk you get doesn't effect how alcohol can harm your overall health.

Is there Alcoholics Anonymous in Japan? Or other programs? Or is it just ignored?

There is some serious championship boozing had by elderly rural Japanese males.

A lot has been said of what it is about Japanese diets, lifestyles, and genetics to allow for people to outlive the rest of the world. I would like to see a study that examines how it is that a 72-year old rice farmer in Akita is able to crush half a plastic jug of industrial-strength varnish stripper relabeled as "sho-chu" and rip 3 packs of butts every night, and still be able to get up at 4:00 AM to go work the fields like a Clydesdale.

Those strong chu-hai drinks of 8% and 9% are a recipe for alcoholism. Only about 100 yen a pop and taste like juice.

Did we not just hear that the gov't was very worried about the low levels of beer consumption, and thus the weird tax increase, which seems to have had a negative effect on beer consumption. Now they are telling old folks, who probably can afford to drink the good stuff not that happoshu swill, that they are drinking too much, and have to cut back! Make up my mind! Which is it!

@ GW - What do you mean by slow poison? I'll drink 3 of the regular size strong Chu-hi with snacks over 2-3 hour period on Friday night at home. It makes for a solid night's sleep, and I feel fine the next day.

Slow poison because most chu hais are just cheap vodka mixed with cheap fruit juice. Don't get me wrong, my choice of slow poison after a few beers is Kirin's Hon Shibori grapefruit (6%). They go down a treat but I really should buy some shochu on its own and then squeeze a grapefruit myself so I know what's in my glass.

This amount is less alcohol than in a 500 ml can of weak beer and not much over a 35-ml can of beer.

Met quiet a few foreigners who got caught unaware by those Chu-hai. ;)

Those strong chu-hai drinks of 8% and 9% are a recipe for alcoholism. Only about 100 yen a pop and taste like juice.

Those are the "baby" sized 350ml cans. 500ml run from about 125 yen per can and up!

Personally like the orange and grapefruit flavors! Nice topping after a six pack of Lager!

I always knew I was doomed... But it appears my prodigious consumption easily influences prefectural data. And that is how I like it. One of the perils of handlng high quantities well... I used to think it was a gift... And now I know it is.

There is a reason why workers don't drink during lunchtime in Japan.

What is the justification for elderly not to drink? Unless there is a spike in the number of DUIs, or an huge increase in domestic abuse, then what does it really matter.

Amen. My old granny passed away a few years back at age 94. Vermont born and bred, never really drank until she hit about 90. But then she decided she liked to drink. No more car at that point, so no potential DUI.

I was the bad guy in the family because when everyone in the family tried to get together and have some big stupid team meeting about keeping the booze away from granny, I was off in the background sneaking it to her. Who gives a flip? She's 92 years old! She worked hard her whole life... if she wants to get hammered, who are we to stop her? Bottoms up, Granny!

What is the justification for elderly not to drink? Unless there is a spike in the number of DUIs, or an huge increase in domestic abuse, then what does it really matter.

@Yubari. You are in Okinawa? Surely amori is the choice? Or habushu?

It is 20 years since the Department of Health added daily drinking guidelines of 3-4 units for men and 2-3 for women to the existing 1987 weekly recommendations of 21 units for men and 14 for women. A more recent recommendation of having at least two alcohol-free days a week has only added to the confusion over the complex relationship between alcohol and health, particularly in mixed age populations.

bmj

the response here about respecting elderly is what got my attention, I am close to my 40s and only a very very limited amount of elderly are actually warrant my respect, just because one lived more than me doesnt automatically grant that person any respect, just as myself dont really expect the respect of a yongster that is not familiar with me.

Drinking, well its a personal choice,obviously people should be educated on the dangers to be able to do a conscious decision, but you can hardly blame them when they have no employment, no proper savings and nothing much to do besides engaging in social drinking.

The ones that were clever, made sure they are safe and well off in their elder years, did all that when they were younger and enjoy a different subset of life these days anyway.

The price of Alcohol free beer is currently too high, it should be at least 1/2 of what it is now in order to address this growing problem.

MichaelJ,.

Its like serendipidous said the stuff is made from REAL cheap, non-existent quality ingredients, rot gut stuff if you will.

I also term soda pop as slow poison.

If you are drinking the stuff with some frequency it will slowly start to do your body harm & heaven help your hangover if you drink tons of it on a given evening

@Robert your point? Carcinogenic? Alcohol, tobacco. The bigger issue is surely impact on close freinds and family. You live once and die? Tolerances is the point we are talking about, are these people causing harm "yes" emotional, physical, but that's a choice, life choice. Education and treatment are a more cost effective than an abortary level.

What is the justification for elderly not to drink? Unless there is a spike in the number of DUIs, or an huge increase in domestic abuse, then what does it really matter.

Amen. My old granny passed away a few years back at age 94. Vermont born and bred, never really drank until she hit about 90. But then she decided she liked to drink. No more car at that point, so no potential DUI. I was the bad guy in the family because when everyone in the family tried to get together and have some big stupid team meeting about keeping the booze away from granny, I was off in the background sneaking it to her. Who gives a flip? She's 92 years old! She worked hard her whole life... if she wants to get hammered, who are we to stop her? Bottoms up, Granny!

My "appropriate level of alcohol" is three cans of strong chu-hi on a Friday night

take away their healthcare benefits

Interesting comment, and interesting response.

It's a curious thing that people expect others to pay for their personal health decisions.

One one hand, some elderly people don't touch a drop of alcohol. On the other, others are slamming themselves.

I'd personally be all in favour of alcohol related health care being privatised. Those who wish to clobber themselves would be free to purchase insurance to cover their higher risk of illness, and those who do not consume alcohol could opt to go for no coverage, and save themselves money.

Or should we just have a single health care system that takes away such incentives, and costs society more as a result?

take away their healthcare benefits