"Serious Alcohol-Related Harm but Budget Frozen for 15 Years... Basic Law Needed"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] Experts have expressed the urgent need for national-level measures, including the enactment of a basic law, amid the serious situation of alcohol-related harm in Korea.

At the "Forum for a Society Free from Alcohol-Related Harm" held on the 28th, jointly organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Alcohol Harm Prevention Committee and the Korea Health Promotion Institute, experts from academia and the medical field made these claims.

In 2019, the annual alcohol consumption per capita in Korea was 8.7L, higher than the global average (5.8L) and second only to Europe. The high-risk drinking rate increased from 11.8% in 2005 to 14.7% in 2018. Especially among women, it more than doubled from 3.4% to 8.4% during the same period. Korea’s prevalence of alcohol use disorder is among the highest in the OECD, alongside the United States (13.9%). On the other hand, the utilization rate of treatment services for alcohol dependence patients is 43.6% in the U.S. but only 8.6% in Korea. National policies and strategies for preventing and reducing alcohol-related harm are also weak, ranking 22nd among OECD countries.

Lee Haeguk, Chairman of the Korean Society of Addiction Psychiatry (Professor of Psychiatry at Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital), pointed out that despite the concerning situation of alcohol-related harm in Korea, the national budget has not increased for several years. He said, "The budget for alcohol harm prevention projects has remained around 1.4 billion KRW for 15 years, while advertising expenses for alcoholic beverages have risen to nearly 300 billion KRW," adding, "Among social and economic costs related to alcohol, smoking, suicide, and cancer, alcohol has the highest cost but the smallest national budget." He also noted that 95% of local governments have fewer than one public official in charge of alcohol reduction projects.

Chairman Lee argued that a separate law and budget are necessary for alcohol addiction. He explained, "There are separate laws and budgets for smoking, cancer, suicide, and gambling, but not for alcohol. The government does not act first because policy demands are not organized, and consumers or drinkers themselves do not actively seek treatment due to prejudice."

Experts unanimously agreed on the need for national-level measures. Chairman Lee emphasized, "Ultimately, a national basic law is necessary," adding, "The state's responsibilities, accountability of alcoholic beverage companies, and duties of medical and health promotion services must be defined." Bae Si-hyun, Director of the Korean Association for the Study of the Liver, said, "According to the U.S. MELD system as of June 2016, liver transplants for brain-dead patients with alcohol-related liver disease have significantly increased, accounting for nearly half of brain-dead liver transplants in 2019," and stressed, "A basic law for treatment services must be enacted, and a screening and management system for high-risk patients for early diagnosis is needed."

There were also opinions that measures are needed for secondary harm, which is not directly caused by drinking but affects others. Secondary harm refers to the negative impacts experienced by non-drinkers due to drinkers, also known as indirect alcohol-related harm. This includes disturbances caused by intoxicated individuals, property damage, domestic violence related to drinking, drunk driving accidents, frequent absenteeism, and safety issues at workplaces due to alcohol consumption. Professor Jegal Jeong of Ewha Womans University Graduate School of Clinical Biohealth stated, "According to domestic research, the experience rate of indirect alcohol-related harm caused by acquaintances in Korea is 24.1%, and 25.6% from strangers," and added, "Preventing harm not only to drinkers but also to others who do not drink is the state's duty and responsibility for public health and protection."

Professor Jegal argued, "Responsibility should not be placed on those who happen to suffer such harm," and insisted, "The budget should be increased by securing funds from liquor taxes, and attention should be paid to policies whose effectiveness has already been proven."

At the forum, 20 private health and medical societies, public and private institutions, and media participated to announce the "Joint Declaration for a Society Free from Alcohol-Related Harm."