Japan tells its sober youth to drink MORE in bid to boost the economy with under-40s consuming less alcohol than their parents
- Covid and Japan’s ageing population has led to a decline in alcohol intake
- The tax agency launched a competition for the youth to promote drinking
- Officials hope the contest will boost tax revenue from alcohol sales
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Japan has asked its sober youth to start drinking more alcohol in a bid to boost the economy.
The younger generation drinks less than their parents, causing a slump in the intake from taxes on drinks such as sake.
The national tax agency is now trying to reverse the trend with a new competition called Sake Viva.
Japan has asked its sober youth to start drinking more alcohol in a bid to boost the economy
The contest asks people aged 20 to 39 to share their business ideas to help boost the consumption of alcohol among their age group.
Contestants will come up with branding, promotions and even artificial intelligence plans to help increase sales.
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The competition organisers said the Covid pandemic affected drinking habits among the youth, the BBC reported.
This combined with an ageing population, with a third over the age of 65, has led to the slump in sales of alcohol.
In 2020, people were drinking 16 gallons of alcohol a year, while in 1995, 22 gallons a year were consumed.
The contest asks people aged 20 to 39 to share their business ideas to help boost the consumption of alcohol among their age group
This has led to a slump in alcohol tax, making up just 1.7 per cent of total revenue in 2020 compared to five per cent in 1980.
Critics have accused the plan of trying to promote unhealthy choices to a more health conscious generation.
But others have latched on to the idea, with ideas already shared including famous actresses ‘performing’ as virtual reality drinks hostesses at digital clubs.
The competition closes at the end of September and the final proposals will be presented in November after development with the help of industry experts.
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