Tokyo CNN —Police in Japan’s capital are urging people to moderate their alcohol consumption this holiday season following an increase in deaths of drinkers hit by vehicles after falling asleep on the street. As of November 25, 10 people had been killed in such accidents this year, Tokyo police said in a recent Twitter post – representing 22% of all pedestrian deaths in the capital. Japan has a relatively low level of alcohol consumption, according to a 2021 OECD study, which factors in the impact of the pandemic, but social drinking is commonplace during festivities. Alcohol consumption in Japan waned during the pandemic, with restrictions hitting the business of bars and other places selling drinks. In a post on its website last year, it called excessive alcohol consumption a “major social problem” that persisted despite the recent slowdown in consumption.

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