Lao Huang, I just saw a news story: a new employee at a company annual party was heavily pressured to drink, downed a whole bottle of red wine in one go, and ended up vomiting until he vomited blood.

I saw it too. The doctor said it was massive bleeding caused by a tear at the stomach entrance. The cardia is the entrance to the stomach, and violent vomiting can tear the mucous membrane there.

That’s scary. A lot of people think it’s normal for vomited red wine to look red, but it turned out to be real blood. If treatment is delayed, it can be dangerous.

Exactly. If there are bright red streaks of blood or coffee-ground-colored vomit, you need to go to the hospital immediately. There may also be pain in the chest or upper abdomen. Alcohol irritates the mucous membrane and makes it easier to tear.

But at company annual parties, when a boss says, “Come on, have one,” new employees often find it hard to refuse. How can this kind of workplace pressure be solved?

The simplest way is to set rules first: the company should clearly state “no pressuring people to drink, and drinks can be replaced with non-alcoholic beverages,” so the choice goes back to the individual. Saving face should not come before health.

And I remember that if something happens after pressuring someone to drink, the person doing the pressuring may also be held responsible—for example, forcing someone to drink, urging them even when you know they shouldn’t, or not making sure they get home safely when they’re drunk.

That’s right. Group dinners can be lively, but the bottom line is safety. If you really want to lead a team well, don’t use alcohol as a loyalty test.