Everyone has a friend who likes to darken the mood when others are simply trying to have a good time. Dr. Toshihiko Matsumoto took on this mantle over the new year, killing the buzz for a number of people on social media just hours before the new decade started.
Matsumoto published a post on Facebook on Dec. 31 focusing on Strong Zero, a 9 percent alcoholic beverage produced by drinks maker Suntory that has become something of a convenience store staple.
The doctor, though, was asking whether the beverage should be treated more like an illegal drug than a legal alcoholic product. He reported seeing people who had polished off a few cans of Strong Zero behaving worse than anyone using hard drugs, and he also felt the fact that it was relatively easy to drink presented more of a risk for people.