Kumamoto police urge moderate drinking during earthquake relief

The Kumamoto Prefectural Police have issued a request for residents to avoid excessive drinking during ongoing earthquake relief efforts. Following a 7.1 magnitude earthquake on July 28, authorities expressed concern that intoxication could lead to incidents requiring police or medical assistance, which would divert critical resources away from disaster response.

While the request follows a period of difficult conditions including typhoons and heatwaves, police noted that the number of incidents involving public drunkenness, fighting, and alcohol poisoning has remained relatively consistent with levels seen before the earthquake. The warning aims to prevent residents from exceeding their usual consumption levels during the recovery period.