Click on right here for extra articles by Kormedi.com.
As year-end gatherings swing into full gear, alcohol usually takes middle stage. Workplace dinners, reunions with outdated classmates, household get-togethers, office events and New Yr’s celebrations are inclined to pile up in fast succession. Earlier than lengthy, ingesting can begin to really feel like a part of on a regular basis life. However behind the festive temper is a set of well being and security dangers.
Based on the U.S. Nationwide Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol consumption through the year-end vacation season will increase by as a lot as 25 % in contrast with regular ranges, accompanied by an increase in alcohol-related accidents and hospitalizations. Binge ingesting, specifically, turns into extra frequent, driving up visitors accidents and alcohol-related crimes and doubtlessly turning informal ingesting right into a broader social drawback.
In South Korea, the Korea Transportation Security Authority reported a complete of 13,042 drunk-driving accidents in 2023. Of these, 4,025 occurred in December alone, about 18 % increased than the month-to-month common. Round 100 individuals have been killed in drunk-driving accidents throughout December and January, with drivers of their 20s and 30s accounting for almost half of the deadly circumstances. Greater than 50 % of accidents occurred between 8 p.m. and a couple of a.m. Police knowledge exhibits that the repeat offender charge for drunk driving exceeds 40 %, underscoring the seriousness of the difficulty.
The Korea Illness Management and Prevention Company estimates that the socioeconomic value of alcohol consumption reached 15.08 trillion received ($11.3 billion) in 2019, exceeding the burden brought on by smoking or weight problems. In the course of the year-end interval, emergency room visits associated to alcohol enhance by about 20 to 30 %, with individuals of their 20s to 40s making up the most important share. Many are handled for acute alcohol poisoning or accidents linked to drunk driving, falls or violence.
So how can individuals benefit from the holidays with out ending up dangerously intoxicated? Well being consultants recommend a number of sensible methods.
First, understanding commonplace drink sizes issues. The Nationwide Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines one commonplace drink as 355 milliliters of beer at 5 % alcohol, 148 mL of wine at 12 % alcohol or 44 mL of distilled spirits at 40 % alcohol. Utilizing these benchmarks helps individuals objectively monitor how a lot they’ve consumed. The issue, consultants say, is that many individuals are unaware of those requirements or dismiss them with an informal “only one extra.”
Second, creating alcohol-free alternate options is vital. Specialists stress the significance of providing nonalcoholic drinks at gatherings and fostering a tradition that doesn’t stress individuals to drink. Analysis exhibits that even those that don’t drink alcohol can nonetheless get pleasure from year-end celebrations absolutely. A celebration doesn’t want alcohol to be vigorous.
Third, managing stress can cut back the urge to drink. Yr-end pressures — from office evaluations to monetary considerations and social obligations — usually drive individuals towards alcohol. Common train, walks, meditation or volunteering will help relieve stress in more healthy methods. Constant bodily exercise is thought to scale back alcohol cravings and enhance psychological well being.
Fourth, recognizing social accountability is crucial. Visitors will increase through the holidays, and late-night driving turns into extra frequent. Drunk driving can have deadly penalties. The U.S. Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration warns that deaths from drunk-driving accidents spike through the vacation season. Utilizing public transportation or designated driver companies is a vital preventive step.
Fifth, constructing habits of self-control could make a distinction. Even when attending ingesting occasions, individuals can set private limits by skipping rounds, alternating alcohol with water, leaving after the primary venue if ingesting is anticipated to proceed, or consuming a full meal beforehand. Slowing the tempo of ingesting helps, and small habits can add as much as significant change.
Sixth, linking moderation to New Yr’s objectives can enhance motivation. Many individuals set resolutions round well being, self-improvement or funds. Together with alcohol moderation as a part of these objectives will increase the chance of lowering consumption. Research recommend that folks with particular objectives are extra profitable at chopping again on ingesting.
There may be additionally no scarcity of alcohol-free methods to benefit from the season. Performing arts akin to theater, films, musicals and opera seize the festive spirit whereas defending well being. Musicals mix music and dance, opera affords grand staging and highly effective vocals, and the basic ballet “The Nutcracker” stays a household favourite. New Yr’s classical concert events have grow to be a refined custom, whereas jazz performances add a complicated edge to vacation pleasure.
Exhibitions and hands-on experiences are another choice. Particular museum exhibits provide creative inspiration at 12 months’s finish, whereas craft or cooking lessons present a way of accomplishment and an opportunity to organize one thing significant for oneself or others.
Well being-focused actions additionally stand out. Night time working or metropolis walks in crisp winter air can clear each physique and thoughts. Dawn occasions to welcome the brand new 12 months, held throughout the nation, provide a memorable different to late-night ingesting.
Social participation could be equally rewarding. Volunteering at hospitals, nursing houses or free meal facilities permits individuals to spend time with these in want, and donation campaigns provide a technique to contribute to significant change.
Quieter choices embrace e-book golf equipment, meditation or yoga workshops, and pictures exhibitions that invite reflection and calm. Studying and dialogue can open new views, whereas mindfulness actions assist launch the 12 months’s accrued rigidity and put together for a recent begin.
Alcohol-free occasions and actions can enrich the vacation season. Selecting efficiency tickets over a drink or heading out for a dawn hike could make year-end celebrations brighter and the brand new 12 months more healthy. By filling the season with tradition, expertise, wellness and sharing, moderately than extreme ingesting, the vacations can grow to be a significant time moderately than a check of endurance.
This text from Kormedi.com, Korea’s prime well being care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Occasions.
