Half of the respondents to a recent survey said they did not
like being forced to drink alcohol at banquets, a custom that is
considered to be part of the country's "liquor culture".
According to the results of the survey, conducted by China
Central Television's (CCTV) Oriental Horizon program, half of the
respondents said they disliked being forced to drink, 35 percent
were neutral and 15 percent said it was a Chinese custom that
should be preserved.
"Forced drinking", spitting, blowing one's nose without using a
handkerchief and smoking in public are among the top 10 worst
habits, according to another survey carried out by the China
Association for Science and Technology.
Excessive drinking is not only unpopular, it can be deadly.
According to official figures released by the Ministry of Public
Security, nearly 90,000 people died in road accidents last year.
Speeding, exhaustion and drunk driving were the top three
killers.
"If people were not urged to drink too much at dinner, we would
have fewer road accidents," said Huang Shubo, an army officer in
Beijing.
However, drinking is widely considered an effective way to
clinch business deals and secure favors because people are more
pliant after consuming alcohol.
It is common in China to treat guests or inspectors to big
dinners to make them "feel at home", but sometimes the hospitality
backfires.
In August 2006, Zhang Hongtao died from alcohol poisoning while
auditing a power grid and transformation project in north China's
Hebei Province.
People have to drink even if they do not want to, Huang said,
adding that the friendship and influence of the host is at stake at
such gatherings.
"I hate drinking too much, but I don't like to embarrass my
friends and superiors when they make a toast," Huang said.
Ma Zhenbiao from the Beijing City Bar Association struck a
similar note.
"There's a limit to showing one's respect with liquor," he
said.
"If people are aware of the dangers of drinking, such as driving
under the influence, and still urge people to drink, they will be
legally responsible for accidents that occur," said Ma
Zhenbiao.
Last February, a man in east China's Zhejiang Province died after his colleagues
forced him to drink. They were later brought to court and asked to
offer compensation to the victim's family.
"Pressing people to drink means ruining their health under the
guise of friendship," said Ke Qinglin, a professor at the Chinese
People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital. He added excessive
drinking caused serious health problems, such as high blood
pressure, cirrhosis of the liver and heart disease.
Yu Xingqian, director of the China poetry and wine culture
association, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, said
some people could become irrational and even commit crimes if they
drank too much.
"We should promote an elegant drinking culture, in which liquor
is savored not swallowed, and drunkenness is rejected," said Yu,
adding that "vulgar practices such as urging or compelling people
to drink should be disparaged".
China is one of the world's largest makers of alcoholic drinks.
In 2005, the country produced over 38 million tons of alcoholic
drinks. It is estimated that there are over 500 million drinkers in
China.
(China Daily February 12, 2007)