In Vietnam, Beer Is Big Business.

 

In Vietnam, beer is big business.

Young people fill large, newly built beer halls for drinks after a long day. Foreigners are launching small businesses and making their own beer in the country. Foreign companies from Heineken to Sapporo hope the Vietnamese market will drive their sales growth. At the same time, some investors¹ are looking for the chance to buy Sabeco, Vietnam’s top beer producer.

Beer seems to be popular nationwide, but the government is getting worried. Now government officials are considering ways to restrict advertising² for beer.

The Ministry³ of Health has proposed a measure that would limit ads for beer, which it fears could soon become a threat to public health. The rules would ban roadside signs for beer, ads in films, on shows with children, and on social media.

Vietnam already bans ads for hard alcohol. But in countries that ban ads for beer and drinks known as spirits, drinking is 11 percent lower than in countries that mainly focus on hard alcohol. That information comes from Tran Thi Trang, deputy director of the Ministry of Health’s legislation department.

"Every year, the alcohol companies spend trillions of dong on advertising and marketing,” she was reported as saying. She added that beer manufacturers would not spend so much money if the ads truly failed to bring people to their products. Her comments appeared on the government’s news website.

Excited about beer

It is because of the fact the Vietnamese have developed a new love of beer that the Health Ministry proposed the restrictions⁴ on advertising.

In Vietnam, alcohol-related enjoyment⁵ is very old – from people who made their own rice wine to the American soldiers who loved 33 Beer, a locally made product, during the Vietnam War.

But today is different, as Vietnamese citizens in peace time have the growing wealth and freedom to drink beer into the early morning. Beer often costs less than a bottle of water.

Policymakers worry that as the drinking culture increases, so will Vietnam’s rates of alcohol-related health problems and drunk driving. The World Health Organization says the country already has a large number of cases of hepatitis B, the main cause of liver cancer.

Industry’s objections

“Beer and alcohol production play an important role in the development of the economy and society, noted⁶ Nguyen Van Viet, chairman of the Vietnam Beer, Alcohol, and Beverage⁷ Association.

Yet the WHO estimates that damage linked to alcoholic⁸ drinks can cost a country anywhere from 1.3-12 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is a measure of all the goods and services produced in a country over a 12-month period.

Officials aim to balance those costs with the benefits of beer to the economy, investment, and trade. Even Australia credits its beer-related exports whenever officials speak of improved trade with Vietnam, where it has become the biggest supplier of wheat and other products required to make beer.

Regan Leggett is the executive director for thought leadership at Nielsen, which released a report in March on discretionary spending in Vietnam and four other countries. He said beer and treats are not just fun, but represent the way the local economy is growing.

Beer is big business, and some Vietnamese are concerned new restrictions could affect the number of visitors. Trang, however, is not worried.

"If visitors come to Vietnam just because their country controls alcohol use, and Vietnam does not,” then Vietnam needs to rewrite its policies because drinking is an international practice.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

hall – n. a large room of part of a building

focus – v. to direct one’s attention or effort on something

dong – n. the name for the money used in Vietnam

role – n. the position in society of a person or thing

benefit - n. things that are good for a person or society

discretionary – adj. additional, unneeded

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 beverage   

n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料

参考例句：

• The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
• Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。

8 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。