Japan urges young adults to drink MORE alcohol after drop in booze consumption among its citizens

YOUNG adults are being urged to drink more booze in Japan after a plunge in alcohol tax revenues. The government has even launched a bizarre competition asking people to come up with ideas on how to tempt younger people to hit the bottle more. GettyJapan is urging young adults to booze more[/caption] It calls for people aged 20 to 39 to come up with “new products and designs” as well as ways to promote drinking at home in a contest titled “Sake Viva!”. The country’s tax agency is desperate for sales to pick back up as young adults shun drinking over lifestyle changes during the coronavirus pandemic. But Japan‘s alcohol industry has long suffered failure, with booze consumption plummeting from an average of 100 litres per person a year in 1995 to 75 litres in 2020, according to the tax agency. It also revealed alcohol products accounted for three per cent of the government’s tax revenue in 2011, down to just two per cent by 2020. More worlds news FRIGHT WEDDING I was enjoying honeymoon dip in infinity pool and disaster struck AXIS OF EVIL China sends thousands of troops to RUSSIA for massive war games amid WW3 fears The tax agency launched its campaign – the latest in a long history of schemes hoping to boost boozing – earlier this year and hopes to generate events designed to promote drinking, reports the Financial Times. Japan’s health ministry said it hoped the initiative would remind people to only drink “the appropriate amount of alcohol” to avoid health issues. The contest – which runs until September 9 – also encourages entrants to look into ways to use the metaverse to foster sales. Winning ideas will be commercialised by the tax office following an awards ceremony in November. Most read in The Sun MURDER MANHUNT Cops hunt ‘dangerous’ knifeman after OAP, 87, stabbed to death on scooter OH WOW I'm a catfish, men say I’m ugly without makeup but are amazed when I'm dolled up WOLF PANIC Pack of wolves on loose in city after escaping from zoo when 'hole cut in fence' 'no words' Darius Campbell Danesh’s ex wife Natasha Henstridge breaks silence on his death LANE IN THE A**E Cyclists may have to get NUMBER PLATES and insurance under new law OH HOL YEAH Kerry Katona jokes around by the pool after claiming she 'looks like a whale' NHS guidelines suggest people should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week. It comes as Brits face an eye-watering six per cent price rise in pubs, bars and restaurants as they brace £9 pints. Soaring costs faced by the hospitality industry have forced the hike, insiders say. It is a whopping increase from 2008 when the average cost of a pint was just £2.30. Since then, recent years have seen the price of a pint soar by 72 percent to an average of £3.95 in 2022. In London, an average pint of the good stuff costs a national high of £5.50, according to finder.com.