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Alice Yan

A controversial live stream binge drinking boom in China has attracted millions of fans but has mainstream media seriously alarmed about health impacts.
Although the trend appeared a few years ago, the videos in which bloggers drink excessive amounts of alcohol including beer, liquor, wine and spirits, have only gained momentum since the beginning of last year. 
In 2019 a man died after filming himself drinking alcohol and  things like cooking oil every day for three months in a bid to make money online.
Many binge drink streamers now have millions of fans.
Some may do binge drinking live streams four to five times a week in a bid to maintain their audience and attract new followers.
One celebrity streamer from Inner Mongolia, a woman named Duoduoqimuge, finished five 620ml bottles of beer in a single sitting.

Some drink as many as 10 500ml bottles of high alcohol content liquor in a single live stream. As a result, some bloggers vomit or lose consciousness in front of the camera.
It comes after authorities cracked down on popular binge eating live-streaming which showed streamers eat excessive amounts of food in front of millions of fans. In the second half of last year, the practice was banned for being unhealthy and wasteful.
After some people questioned if streamers were really drinking high-strength alcohol, some live-streamers began setting drinks on fire as proof. This has led to audiences routinely demanding drinks be set on fire as evidence of alcohol content.  “I don’t trust you if you don’t ignite the liquor,” wrote one viewer quoted in The Beijing Daily, which reported that in some cases people’s clothes had caught fire.
Others will drink smaller quantities of far stronger drinks, such as one streamer who drank a 100ml bottle of spirits with an alcohol content of more than 55 per cent.
New food-waste law hard to stomach for China’s binge-eating internet stars
In an editorial on Monday, People’s Daily, the Party’s mouthpiece, said binge drinking live-streaming should be banned.
“This kind of live-streaming competes with each other’s drinking capacity for online traffic. This practice breaches society’s bottom line and is actually exchanging money with [blogger’s] life,” the article said. “The online traffic generated by it is toxic.”

Guangming Daily, the Communist Party central committee-run newspaper said in an editorial on Wednesday that binge drinking live-streaming was a dangerous stunt for the sake of online traffic and was encouraging risky behaviour online. It also blamed online platforms for not clamping down on the trend
“Those platforms only acted (on binge eating) after the media reported the phenomenon, triggering public pressure on them. This gave us an impression that the platforms do not take any initiative to oversee it and did respond at a slower rhythm,” the article said.
Li Yan, a cardiology doctor from Dongfang Hospital of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, said compared with live stream eating, the binge drinking trend posed far more harm to people.

 “The damage brought by binge eating is temporary, like expanding their stomach,” he told the Beijing News. 
“Drinking excessive spirits would be more harmful, as alcohol itself hurts our body, especially for those patients with high blood pressure, diabetes or high blood cholesterol.”
According to Chinese Dietary Guidelines, a man should drink no more than 25 grams of alcohol a day, while a woman’s intake should not exceed 15 grams.


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China society

China alarmed as binge drink live-streaming where people drink until they vomit or pass out becomes the latest online trend 

Chasing fame at the bottom of a bottle. Binge drinking live streaming has many in China worried. Photo: Sohu

After last year’s ban on binge eating online, some streamers see binge drinking as a way to fame and fortune. Photo: Baidu

Many streamers try and come up with novel ways to stay relevant, such as pouring several bottles of alcohol into a single giant cup and drinking the contents in one gulp. Photo: Baidu

Doctors have warned about serious health impacts such as liver damage from binge drinking. Photo: Baidu

The birthplace of WeChat now wants to become China’s live streaming capital by offering rewards

In this April 27, 2020, photo, Song Huiyan shows her fashion dresses for her online clients during the live-streaming at her clothing shop in Beijing. Photo: AP

The future of China’s most popular app WeChat is short videos and live streaming, says creator Allen Zhang

WeChat’s move into video will put the Tencent super app in direct competition with rivals like ByteDance owner of TikTok. Photo: AP

Bilibili flags popular vlogger’s content as suspect amid rise in disinformation, scams on Chinese video sites

Attendees dressed in anime costumes hold Bilibili logos during the company's initial public offering (IPO) in New York. The Chinese video platform has flagged a warning on the channel of a popular vlogger suspected of spreading disinformation. Photo: Bloomberg

China’s advertising industry issues code of conduct for live streaming e-commerce

A presenter conducts a live streamed shopping event in Guangzhou, southern China on June 6, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

A host presents goods for online sales in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China, 20 May 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE

Douyin, China’s TikTok, permanently bans live-streamer who verbally harassed young women on the streets

A live-streamer films himself following young women on the street before being banned from the Douyin platform. Picture: Douyin via Weibo

A man is permanently banned from China's TikTok equivalent Douyin after he live-streamed himself verbally harassing women on the streets. Photo: Douyin via Weibo

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Live stream drinking’s popularity in China follows on from the controversial online binge eating craze which was banned last year
Some drink up to 10  bottles of liquor in a single session, while audiences frequently demand drinks be set on fire to prove alcohol content is high



In the competitive world of Chinese online celebrity, binge drinking is the latest fad, with streamers drinking vast quantities of alcohol four to five times a week to gain followers.


China alarmed as binge drink live-streaming where people drink until they vomit or pass out becomes the latest online trend

Live stream drinking’s popularity in China follows on from the controversial online binge eating craze which was banned last year Some drink up to 10 bottles of liquor in a single session, while audiences frequently demand drinks be set on fire to prove alcohol content is high

Live stream drinking’s popularity in China follows on from the controversial online binge eating craze which was banned last year

Some drink up to 10 bottles of liquor in a single session, while audiences frequently demand drinks be set on fire to prove alcohol content is high