Anti-drugs campaigners in Tokyo are attempting to combat Japan鈥檚 macho drinking culture with a sticky arm patch that shows people how well their body is resisting the ravages of alcohol.
Campaign group ASK hopes the patches will ease the pressure on non-drinkers, particularly those who are subjected to 鈥渁lcohol harassment鈥� by their bosses.
鈥淢any bosses take their workers for a drink after work and feel offended if subordinates refuse drinks,鈥� says ASK spokesperson Yosuke Tsukasa.
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He adds that many Japanese, like other Asians, are more prone to alcohol poisoning than Westerners because they lack, or are deficient in, an enzyme that helps break down alcohol.
Red light
Traces of the enzyme are excreted in sweat. Arm patches show if someone has enough enzyme to deal with acetaldehyde, a toxic breakdown product of alcohol.
The patches turn red if the wearer lacks the enzyme and has no tolerance to alcohol. If it goes reddish after five minutes, ASK recommends the wearer drinks only in moderation. No colour change at all suggests the wearer would have made good company for the late boozing legend Oliver Reed.
ASK is selling $42 kits that contain enough patches for 50 people. 鈥淧erhaps if I had had this kit in my university days I wouldn鈥檛 now have an enlarged liver,鈥� one keen sake drinker told 快猫短视频. 鈥淚n Japanese universities everyone is expected to go drinking with colleagues and keep up with their drinking pace. I was typical in this respect and often drank more than I could handle.鈥�