Topic: news A Killer Hangover: China’s Problem with Fake Alcohol

Nothing new here for anyone who's stayed in China for more than a couple of weeks, though it's always good to get the word out. As you said, the more people read and worry about it, the more likely it is someone (namely the government/bar proprietors) might do something about it. Unfortunately, even when you know with some certainty that a place sells fake drinks, in a lot of cases it's hard to do something about it, particularly when you're on a budget. I like to think that there are higher odds of getting served genuine alcohol in pricier places, as I figure if a place charges 50+ kuai for a beer, they can afford to get you the real deal. Obviously, this logic is flawed, as rather than serving you premium drinks at a premium price (which I'm sure is the case in some places), a lot of venues might still resort to fake or discounted liquor for the sake of making just that much more profit (as I've heard of several high end, well-known clubs serving fake champagne, even when they're already selling it at several thousand kuai a bottle). Over the years of having lived in China, I've gotten the idea that people don't mind causing a few deaths or cases of deteriorated health for others as long as they make profit themselves. As I said, on a budget, it's very hard to get around drinking fake alcohol. This is mainly due to the difference in price (what student wouldn't prefer a 10 kuai beer over a 50 kuai one?), but also because I feel that a lot of people underestimate the health issues. It's like smoking: Numerous people die to lung cancer and what not due to smoking, yet others continue doing so, thinking that it either won't happen to them, or that they'll be able to quit before their health gets to a point where they need to start worrying about it. The same goes for these drinks, as foreigners in particular tend to stay here from anything between half a year and perhaps a handful of years tops, and they probably figure it won't affect them as long as they quit drinking the stuff at some point. I personally find it impossible to get around fake drinks, as I usually can't tell whether my hangover was caused by fake alcohol or something else (as there's numerous factors involved, besides you just getting old; your build, whether you had dinner before drinking, how frequently you drink, etc.) and am willing to take the risk when I have to choose between having fun with my equally broke friends, or sitting at home doing nothing. My advice to anyone who had a bad experience in a bar, and who wants to figure out whether they had a rough night or drank fake stuff, would be to discuss it with your friends and figure things out from there. In addition to this, if you're serious about your health and willing to spend some extra kuai in order to avoid fake drinks, you should avoid open bars or places that sell same brand drinks as other bars do at a much lower price, as this is an obvious indicator of something being fishy. Also, if you're not in a position to splurge, you could consider trying some Korean drinks such as soju. Even though soju does give you a hell of a hangover, at least it's one that's intended, as even the genuine stuff fucks you up.