Drinking Cultures Around The World (And How Alcohol Affects Your Health Insurance)

Whether you drink alcohol or not, it’s important to know about the drinking culture in the country where you’re living in as an expat.

Another thing you must consider is the impact drinking alcohol can have on your international health insurance policy. When you take out health insurance as an expat, your insurer will ask you how often you drink – this can impact your eligibility for health insurance and the premiums you pay.

In this article, we’ll look at alcohol laws and drinking cultures around the world, and the impact drinking alcohol can have on both your health and your health insurance.

Drinking cultures around the world

All countries have laws around who can drink alcohol, governing the age at which people can purchase alcohol, where it can be drunk, and restrictions around drink driving.

In many countries where alcohol is legal, you can expect to encounter a drinking culture. In countries with a strong drinking culture, there is often a societal expectation on people to drink socially. If you drink, you may find that adapting to a country’s drinking culture can help you make friends and fit in like one of the locals.

Having said that, it’s important to remember that alcohol is detrimental to your health and wellbeing, so you shouldn’t put pressure on yourself to drink if you don’t feel comfortable doing so.

Alcohol around the world

Every country has its own unique laws around alcohol, dictating such things as:

• Who can drink alcohol
• Where alcohol can be drunk
• Who can sell alcohol
• How old a person must be when purchasing or consuming alcohol
• Whether a person is allowed to be intoxicated in public
• Restrictions on the things you can do while intoxicated, such as driving a vehicle

Where alcohol is legal and socially acceptable, many countries have developed their own drinking cultures. A drinking culture is often measured by how many people within the population drink alcohol, the frequency they drink, and the amount they tend to consume when drinking.

Understanding and indeed taking part in a country’s drinking culture is a big part of adjusting to life as an expat, and is often cited as a cause of culture shock, but is by no means a necessity.

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Health effects of alcohol consumption

Worldwide, there are around 2.3 billion regular alcohol drinkers, representing about 29% of the global population. The average daily intake among drinkers is around 3.8 units of alcohol per day, roughly equivalent to two 150ml glasses of wine, 750ml of beer or two 40ml measures of spirits. More than half of global alcohol users are in Europe, the Americas and the Pacific region, and the number of global drinkers is expected to increase in the next 10 years.

The most recent research has suggested that drinking any amount of alcohol is bad for one’s health. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified alcohol as a Group One carcinogen, which means it can be directly attributed to the development of cancer – and the more alcohol a person consumes, the higher their risk of developing cancer. 

Alcohol raises the risk of developing several forms of cancer, including:

• Mouth and throat cancers
• Voice box (larynx) cancer
• Oesophagus cancer
• Colo-rectal cancers
• Liver cancer
• Breast cancer

It may also increase the likelihood of developing stomach, pancreatic and prostate cancer.

Every year, around three million preventable deaths are caused by alcohol consumption, representing 5.3% of all deaths in the world. These figures are much higher among 20–39 year olds, with 13.5% of all deaths in this age group attributed to alcohol. Furthermore, 5.1% of all diseases treated every year are linked in some way to alcohol consumption.

Alcohol is also classed as an addictive substance. Around 237 million men and 46 million women worldwide struggle with some form of alcohol dependency, with the majority of these people in Europe and the Americas.

The benefits of not drinking

Alcohol is linked to a wide range of both short-term and long-term health complications. Abstaining from alcohol can therefore not only improve your long-term health prospects, it can produce immediate improvements to your general health and wellbeing.

It is advised to only drink in moderation, and never to excess. The benefits of abstaining from alcohol may include:

1/ Improved mood

Alcohol is a dependency-forming depressant that can form long-term changes in mood, including mood swings and depression. After giving up alcohol, you may discover your mood becomes more consistent and that you feel generally happier.

2/ Better sleep

Alcohol affects the quality of your sleep by disrupting sleep patterns, causing you to feel chronically sleep-deprived. After giving up alcohol, drinkers often experience a ‘rebound period’ where their sleep becomes noticeably much better. You could even experience up to six additional REM cycles per night.

3/ Weight loss

Staying fit is hard enough as it is, but alcoholic drinks are known to be high in calories. This makes them a common cause of weight gain and obesity. For instance, one pint of beer contains around 208 calories. Giving up alcohol means eliminating these calories from your diet, helping you to stay in control of your weight.

4/ Better hydration

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it causes the body to lose fluids and become dehydrated. Excessive drinking can cause a loss of bodily fluids and salts, which can lead to a variety of health complications. After giving up alcohol, you will find it much easier to control your bodily hydration, which will help to prevent the effects of dehydration.

5/ More money

The final reason to think about giving up alcohol is the effect it has on your personal finances. The cost of drinking alcohol can stack up over your life, leading to a loss of savings and pressure on your personal finances. After giving up alcohol, you will notice that you suddenly have much more money to spend on other, more important things!

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Drinking cultures around the world

The amount of alcohol people drink and the way they tend to consume alcohol often depends on the local laws, customs and culture of their countries. Where alcohol is legal and socially acceptable, you will often find a strong drinking culture in some parts of society.

Drinking cultures tend to be deeply rooted in various societies and reflect social and historical customs. Many countries are famous for their drinking cultures, while others are the exact opposite – either banning alcohol entirely, or looking down on it socially.

Here are some of the more widely-known drinking cultures:

United Kingdom and Ireland

Legal drinking age: 18 (16 in some circumstances)
Percentage of adult population who drink: 82%

The United Kingdom and Ireland have a long association with alcohol, where drinking mainly happens inside pubs (short for ‘public houses’, these are common establishments in British and Irish towns and cities where people go to eat and drink).

The UK and Ireland are collectively known for a culture of ‘binge drinking’ – in comparison to other countries where people drink moderate amounts of alcohol regularly, British and Irish people are famed (accurately or not) for preferring to drink large quantities of alcohol in one go (albeit less frequently) and with the express intention of getting drunk.

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Japan

Legal drinking age: 20
Percentage of adult population who drink: 93%

It is often said that Japanese culture revolves around the workplace, and the same is true for Japan’s drinking culture. Social drinking is common in Japan, especially in the form of nomikai – the practice of going to after-work drinking parties with one’s colleagues.

Attending these drinking sessions is often seen as an essential part of working life and a way for employees to communicate with each other and their superiors. Indeed, the word nomikai derives from the word for ‘communication’.

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Australia

Legal drinking age: 18
Percentage of adult population who drink: 76%

Drinking is considered a big part of everyday life in Australia. As a former British colony, Australia like the UK has many pubs, and has also inherited their culture of binge drinking. But Australia has also emerged as one of the world’s most popular wine-producing countries, and as such Australians drink more wine per capita than beer.

It is often expected that a wide choice of beers and wines will be served alongside meals in Australia, while in major cities young people tend to flock to rooftop bars for after-work drinks.

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Germany

Legal drinking age: 16 for beer and wine, 18 for spirits
Percentage of adult population who drink: 84%

Germany has a strong drinking culture best reflected in its national Volksfest, and particularly d’Wiesn (Oktoberfest) – a month-long beer festival and carnival held in Munich, Bavaria.

Throughout Germany, you will stumble across many beer halls and pubs, while in the capital Berlin you can expect to find people drinking outside Spätis, convenience stores licensed to sell alcohol. That’s saying nothing of Germany’s world-famous nightlife, where alcohol is widely sold.

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France

Legal drinking age: 18
Percentage of adult population who drink: 88%

The French are well-known for enjoying a glass of wine with their meals. Indeed, a popular stereotype is that the French drink wine every day – and there may be some truth in this, since around 11% of French people claim to drink “every, or almost every day” (although it should be noted the rate of daily drinkers is declining in France.)

From the cafés of Paris to the wine bars of Bordeaux and the cideries of Normandy, you can expect to find the French enjoying their favourite victuals late into most evenings.

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United States

Legal drinking age: 21
Percentage of adult population who drink: 67%

The United States has a complicated history with drinking, having made alcohol illegal during the period 1920–1933. As a diverse country, America also takes a diverse approach to drinking, with many Americans drinking moderately or not at all.

Those who do like to drink do so in bars, saloons and clubs, while it is also common to find people drinking at social and leisure events: ‘Tailgating’ is an American tradition where people drink alcohol in the car park before a game of American football, and the popular drinking game ‘beer pong’ originates from American college dorms.

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China

Legal drinking age: 18
Percentage of adult population who drink: 41%

Alcohol in China is more than just something to take the edge off – it’s a core part of the Chinese Han philosophy. Concepts of politeness, virtue and moderation in China are derived from alcohol drinking.

To this day, drinkers are expected to toast their fellows in order of social status, to clink their own glasses lower than the other person’s to show politeness, and never to drink to excess. There is an old Chinese saying that goes: “Get drunk, and you can be polite, but don’t overdo it, or you will hurt your virtue.”

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Countries where drinking is not common

On the other hand, there are many countries where drinking is not part of the local culture.

This could be because alcohol is illegal, socially frowned-upon or because the local culture does not have a strong history of drinking.

As an expat living in these countries, you may encounter discrimination or come into trouble with law enforcement if you engage in alcohol consumption. It is important to understand and comply with local laws and customs.

Countries where alcohol is illegal

Alcohol is either outright illegal or partially restricted in all or part of these countries:

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Drinking and driving

Driving while under the influence of alcohol is legally enforceable or illegal altogether in most countries worldwide.

Some countries have a (typically very low) tolerance for the quantity of alcohol that can be detected in a driver’s breath, blood or urine, while others take a zero-tolerance approach to drinking and driving.

Different laws may also apply depending on the type of vehicle you are driving, for instance if you are driving a heavy goods vehicle or motorcycle.

It is worth mentioning that, in many cases, drinking alcohol before operating a motor vehicle will invalidate your insurance. So, if you have an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol, you may not be covered by your vehicle, health or life insurance policy.

Countries where it is completely illegal to drink and drive

In the following countries, having any amount of alcohol in your breath or bloodstream while driving a motor vehicle is illegal:

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How does alcohol consumption affect your health insurance policy?

When you apply for a new international health insurance policy, your insurer may ask you how much alcohol you consume on a regular (weekly) basis. This is part of a process called underwriting, in which your health insurer looks at your general state of health and assesses your risk. This risk determines whether the insurer is able to provide insurance, and how to calculate your premiums.

While it is unlikely the insurer deny your application for health insurance on the basis of your alcohol consumption, there are still a few things you should be aware of:

1/ Your alcohol consumption may be considered alongside pre-existing conditions

If you are generally healthy and drink moderately, your health insurer will probably not be too concerned about your alcohol consumption.

But if you have a known history of alcohol issues, and you drink more than the recommended average, the insurer may consider these two things in tandem. The combination of a high alcohol intake and pre-existing conditions may lead to you being denied health insurance.

For instance, if you have a history of cardiovascular problems, this alone may not exclude you from taking out health insurance. However, if you have cardiovascular issues and you tend to drink excessively, the insurer may be inclined to believe the two issues are related, and consider your risk profile to be too high to insure.

2/ You will not be covered for alcohol dependency issues

Many insurers don’t cover that alcohol dependency issues. This means, if you develop alcohol issues during the term of your policy, you may not be able to claim for the cost of treatment.

While going through the underwriting process, the insurer may investigate your risk of developing an alcohol dependency problem. If the insurer suspects you are at risk of developing a dependency, or already experiencing one, this may impact their decision to provide you with health insurance.

3/ Your claim may be denied if you drink excessively

If, while under the influence of alcohol, you sustain an injury that is the direct cause of your alcohol consumption, your insurer may decline to pay your claim for medical treatment.

4/ You may not be covered for long-term conditions that arise from alcohol consumption

If, during the cause of your policy, you develop an illness or condition that is directly or indirectly attributable to your alcohol consumption, your insurer may not pay your claims for medical treatment for that illness or condition. 

For instance, if you develop a liver disorder that your doctor links to your alcohol consumption; or, if you develop a neurological disorder which your doctor says has been partially caused by your drinking.

Choose international health insurance with William Russell

Starting a new life as an expat? Make sure you’ve taken out international health insurance.

At William Russell, we have over 30 years’ experience helping expats like you to get the best deal on their health insurance when moving to a new country. Our policies give you access to an extensive network of over 40,000 medical facilities worldwide, meaning you’ll always have access to the best quality medical care.

Get an online quote today and start your new life abroad with total peace of mind.