The Japanese government is asking young adults to consume more alcohol due to declining liquor sales and tax revenue.
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A contest was launched by the National Tax Agency, where contestants are permitted to submit ideas on how to encourage young adults to start drinking more alcohol based on marketing strategies and products. Finalists will be invited to expert consultation in October before Tokyo’s official tournament in November. The winner’s business plan will be used to increase liquor sales in the country.
“The domestic alcoholic beverage market is shrinking due to demographic changes such as the declining birthrate and aging population, and lifestyle changes due to the impact of Covid-19,”
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According to CNN, many have opposed the idea of a government encouraging young people to drink alcohol. The campaign was criticized for not considering the health and risks of consuming too much alcohol. Previously, the country’s Ministry of Health warned about alcoholism and its dangerous side effects. Additionally, excessive alcohol consumption has been listed as a societal issue for years.
Financial Times: “Japan wants people to drink more alcohol,” as declining alcohol consumption is causing a big tax problem. 🙃
It shows the government doesn’t care about you as much as about having your money and your dependence. 💁🏻
Have a great Saturday night. 😉
— Satoshi Stacker (@StackerSatoshi) August 20, 2022
The Health Ministry also said in a statement that the decline in alcohol consumption had affected the economy slowly each year.
“In this way, the decline in drinking habits year by year is thought to be having an effect on the shrinking of the domestic market.”
Japan’s economic recovery has slowed down as the country lifted its state of emergency in October 2021 after a huge surge of COVID-19 cases. The lift allowed restaurants to reopen and sell alcohol, but some restrictions are still enforced in different parts of the country.
Additionally, the war in Ukraine also impacted Japan’s economy and repeated surges of COVID-19 cases.