Dec 26 (News On Japan) - As the year draws to a close, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is raising the alarm over the hazardous practice of 'binge drinking,' defined as consuming more than 60 grams of pure alcohol in 2 hours.
As a reference, 350 milliliters of beer (5% alcohol) contains 14 grams, one cup of sake (15% alcohol) contains 22 grams, and one glass of wine (12% alcohol) contains 12 grams. This means drinking five cans of beer would exceed 60 grams.
Experts, however, points out that the guideline of up to 60 grams is meant for people who are accustomed to alcohol. Approximately 40% of Japanese people are genetically 'weak' to alcohol or have a non-drinking constitution. People who get a red face from drinking a cup of beer are examples of this.
For such individuals, the guideline recommends consuming less than 30-40 grams of pure alcohol.