USA Today, 19 May 2004, features an article on the negative impact on China of affluence, worsening diet and increasing alcoholism. Here is a summary of the latter part of the story. no minimum legal drinking age TV advertising of all kinds of liquor both legal and common most Chinese light drinkers drinking alone rare most drinking as part of a meal beer output increased 91 times between 1949 and 1981 beer now produced in nearly every province 320% increase in ehtyl alcohol consumption between 1978 and 2000 now per capita 176 ounces officially (probably a third higher if included homemade brewers) almost no alcoholism care in 1970s now facilities growing, mostly for men with a few women mention Anding Hospital which almost tripled the people it cared for over the last two years in 2000 for the first time this facility treated women number of alcoholics tripled nationally between 1983 and 1993 about three years ago first chapters of Alcoholics Anonymous in Beijing and Shanghai expect alcoholism problems to increase with affluence (if government goals are reached, by 2020 Chinese people will attain a standard of living comparable to that of the West in 1990)