WASHINGTON — This year the World Health Organization adopted the historic Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol. Governments around the world are now taking stock of the toll of harmful drinking on public health, communities and economies, and beginning the important work of implementing the strategy.
In Japan, as in other Asian countries, alcohol consumption has increased in recent decades and matters of alcohol policy have become more pressing. Alcohol producers have worked with government ministries and nongovernmental organizations in efforts to increase awareness about the importance of responsible drinking, as well as the dangers of harmful drinking.
A survey published by the Okayama University Medical School in 2008 found that such efforts have begun to make progress, with 96 percent of respondents reporting awareness about the importance of legal drinking age limits, and 84 percent reporting awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving.