Tiger Corporation Conducts “Survey on Awareness of Heat Stroke and Water Bottles” in Response to April 24 Launch of Heat Stroke Special Alert Operation

Tiger Corporation (President: Yoshisato Kikuchi, Head Office: Kadoma, Osaka), a world leader in thermal control technology and an advocate of “My Bottle” hydration, conducted a survey of 544 men and women between the ages of 15 and 59 to find out their awareness of heat stroke countermeasures and actual usage of water bottles in response to the announcement of the “Heat Stroke Special Alert,” which will be put into operation by the Ministry of the Environment and the Japan Meteorological Agency from April 24, 2024.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a long-term forecast*1 for the three-month period from April to June this year, predicting that temperatures are expected to be higher than normal nationwide, mainly due to the El Niño phenomenon. This year, attention is also focused on “global boiling,” which has been nominated for the Best New Word or Trendy Word of 2023, and there are concerns about the increase in heat stroke and other health problems caused by this phenomenon. Against this backdrop, the Ministry of the Environment and the Japan Meteorological Agency have announced the launch of the “Heat Stroke Special Alert,” which is one step higher than the “Heat Stroke Alert” and is issued when more serious health problems are likely to occur.

Against this backdrop, Tiger Corporation, which recommends that people drink water in their own bottles as a proper heat stroke countermeasure, conducted a survey to determine how many people are aware of heat stroke alerts and heat stroke special alerts as a heat stroke countermeasure. The results revealed that less than 30% of the population is aware of these alerts, despite the fact that they are communicated daily through various media.

For 101 years since our founding, we have continued to face the issue of warmth, coldness, and quality based on our vacuum insulation and heat control technologies. We will continue to call for measures to prevent heat stroke by replenishing water in your own bottle based on our technologies and thoughts related to “temperature”.

*1 Japan Meteorological Agency, “Weather Outlook for the Next Three Months,” https://www.data.jma.go.jp/cpd/longfcst/kaisetsu/?term=P3M

[Survey Overview]

Survey target: Men and women aged 15-59 nationwide
Survey organization: Tiger Corporation
Survey period: March 15 (Friday) to March 19 (Tuesday), 2024
Survey method: Internet survey
Number of valid responses: 544

*The results are rounded to the nearest whole number, so there may be an error when calculating the total number of respondents.
*When introducing the results of the survey, please include the following note: “Quotes from Tiger Corporation’s “Survey on Heat Stroke and Water Bottles”.

85.9% of respondents feel that “summer heat” is different and more dangerous than in the past, and another 85.8% feel that the observation of “summer days” with a maximum temperature of 25 degrees Celsius or higher is getting earlier every year.

The number of people who were urgently transported due to heat stroke between May and September last year was 91,467*2, which was the second highest number of people transported since the survey began in 2008. Furthermore, with the establishment of a new “Heat Stroke Special Alert” this year, dangerous heat is expected to be unprecedented in the past. 85.9% of respondents feel that the summer heat, which becomes more severe every year, is “more dangerous than in the past. Also, 85.8% of respondents feel that the number of summer days with a maximum temperature of 25 degrees Celsius or higher is getting earlier each year. In fact, on March 31 this year, a summer day was observed at more than 100 locations nationwide*3, and the temperature in central Tokyo and other areas set a new record for the highest temperature ever observed in March.

*2 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, “Emergency Medical Consultations due to Heat Stroke in 2023 (May to September).
https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/heatstroke/items/r5/heatstroke_nenpou_r5.pdf
*3 Japan Weather Association, “Unseasonably hot summer days at more than 100 locations nationwide, with Tokyo hitting a new record high for
March. https://tenki.jp/forecaster/deskpart/2024/03/31/28140.html

More than half of all respondents said that they actually start taking measures against heat stroke in June or July.

Despite the fact that about 80% of all respondents feel that the summer days are getting earlier every year, 59.9%, or 60% of all respondents, actually start taking measures against heat stroke in June or July. Only 2.0% of the respondents answered April, when the “Heat Stroke Special Alert” will be in operation, indicating that heat stroke is wrongly perceived as a “danger only during the summer season.

Although “Heat Stroke Alerts” and “Heat Stroke Special Alerts” are sent out, only 26.1%, or less than 30%, are aware of them.

When asked if they are aware of the “Heat Stroke Alert” and “Heat Stroke Special Alert,” 52.6% knew the meaning of the current “Heat Stroke Alert” and 42.1% knew the meaning of the new “Heat Stroke Special Alert” to be launched this year, indicating that more than half of the respondents either do not know the meaning or do not know the alert. More than half of the respondents either did not know the meaning or were unaware of it.This is a rather low recognition rate for an alert that should be used to promote “awareness of the heat” and warn people against heat stroke.

In fact, when asked about what they are concerned about on a daily basis to avoid heat stroke, we found that “temperature,” “weather,” and “humidity” were the most common concerns, while “heat stroke alerts” and “special heat stroke alerts,” which were sent out starting this year, accounted for 26.1% and 16.0% respectively, less than 30% of respondents.

What is the “Heat Stroke Special Alert” that will be in operation from April 24, 2024?

A “Heat Stroke Special Alert” is issued when the Ministry of the Environment and the Japan Meteorological Agency determine that there is a risk of serious health problems due to heat stroke. The criteria is that the heat index based on temperature and humidity is expected to be 35 or higher at all observation points in the prefecture. This is treated as one step above the heat stroke alert that is already in operation.

Reference: Ministry of the Environment Heat Stroke Prevention Information Website https://www.wbgt.env.go.jp/about_alert.php

Alerts	Heat index	Situation
Heat Stroke Special Alert	35 or more All locations in the prefecture	Fear of serious health hazards
Heat Stroke Alert	Any point in the prefecture	Fear of a large number of heat stroke victims being transported

The majority of the respondents said that hydration is the most important factor to prevent heat stroke (82%), with the majority of respondents drinking tea and water.

82% of respondents recognized the importance of hydration as a measure against heat stroke, followed by 62.7% who said that salt supplementation was also important.

Tea (green tea, barley tea, etc.) was the beverage of choice as an actual heat stroke countermeasure, with 67.1% of respondents choosing tea. Water was next, at 54.1%, with standard drinks topping the list.
Some of the drinks after sports drinks, which came in third, cannot be included in some of the water bottles respondents own. In particular, sports drinks and oral rehydration solutions, which are often chosen to replenish water and salt that are easily lost during the summer, contain salt, which may cause rust, holes, or other malfunctions if placed in a standard metal water bottle.

*Tiger bottles with a smooth and shiny “Super Clean (Plus)” finish on the stainless steel surface are compatible with sports drinks and oral rehydration solution. (Please finish drinking as soon as possible and clean the bottle immediately after use. Mold formation, rust, holes, and other malfunctions may result.)

While 75% of respondents know that “oral rehydration solution” is effective when dehydrated, more than half have never seen or heard the information that it is not a good idea to fill stainless steel water bottles with sports drinks or oral rehydration solution. Therefore, they may be using water bottles that are not compatible with sports drinks or oral rehydration solution.

75.0% of all respondents said they know that oral rehydration solution is more effective than sports drinks when dehydration occurs.
However, as mentioned earlier, sports drinks and oral rehydration solutions contain salt, which may cause rust, holes, or other malfunctions when placed in a standard metal water bottle. In fact, more than half of the respondents indicated that they were unaware that it is not a good idea to fill stainless steel water bottles with sports drinks or oral rehydration solution, indicating that they may be using water bottles that are not compatible with sports drinks or oral rehydration solution.

Tiger Corporation’s vacuum-insulated bottles have a smooth, shiny “Super Clean (Plus)” stainless steel surface that is stain- and odor-resistant and rust-resistant, making them suitable for use with oral rehydration solution as well as sports drinks. (Please finish drinking as soon as possible and clean immediately after use. Mold formation, rust, holes, etc. can cause malfunctions.)
This summer is expected to be hotter than usual, so please use the vacuum-insulated bottles that are compatible with both sports drinks and oral rehydration solution as your own bottle, and use them according to your physical symptoms to help prevent heat stroke and dehydration.

*Sports drinks and oral rehydration solution are not directly related to heat stroke countermeasures on their own, so please use them in combination with other countermeasures.

Reference: Sports Drink & Oral Rehydration Solution Compatible Technology

Tiger Corporation’s vacuum-insulated bottles have a smooth, shiny “Super Clean/Super Clean Plus” finish on the stainless steel surface, making them stain- and odor-resistant and rust-resistant, so you can safely fill them with salty sports drinks and oral rehydration solution.

*Drinks should be consumed as soon as possible and cleaned immediately after use. Do not use the bottle for long periods of time as it may cause mold, rust, holes, or other malfunctions.
*Even when you are away from home and cannot take care of the product, please rinse the inside of the product well with water.

Dr. Masuji Hattori commented on the survey regarding heat stroke and water bottles.

The “Earth Boiling Era” is now in full swing, and the “Heat Stroke Danger Month” began in April.

The term “Global Boiling Era” has been used to describe the severe environment of the earth since 2023. The term “global warming” was previously used, but the environment is no longer as simple as that. We are required to think in terms of “heat disasters” and from the perspective of disasters to cope with environmental changes. Japan, which used to have a wonderful climate with four distinct seasons, has unfortunately changed into a “two-season country” with summer and winter, and we need to take more thorough measures against heat than before.

April is not spring, but the month of summer, and should be considered the beginning of the “heat stroke risk period. Heat stroke does not stop at physical discomfort; in severe cases it can lead directly to death, so be on your guard.

The first thing to do is to hydrate frequently. Be sure to hydrate according to the amount of perspiration you perspire.

When you sweat, you may feel a salty taste in your mouth. This is due to the loss of salt (NaCl) in the body mixed with sweat. As a countermeasure against sweating, frequent rehydration with 100 to 200 mL of salt every hour is necessary. Hydrate according to the amount of sweating and your physical condition, for example, drinking a sports drink when sweating only lightly, or drinking an oral rehydration solution when you are outdoors or out for long periods of time and perspire to a certain extent. When going out, a water bottle with a vacuum insulated structure (vacuum insulated bottles) is a must-have to keep your body cool with chilled water anytime and anywhere, and to take preventive measures by drinking water frequently.

However, be careful to use a water bottle that is compatible with sports drinks and oral rehydration solution, as these drinks contain salt. If a non-compatible water bottle is used, it may rust or develop holes, which could lead to malfunctions. To ensure safe use, please confirm that your water bottle is compatible with such beverages.

Heat stroke can occur not only during the day or when going out, but also when sleeping. We recommend that you keep a bottle of water by your bedside and take measures to quickly replenish it when you wake up with thirst.　

*The above comments are edited and published based on requests from our company.

Dr. Masuji Hattori Profile

Tiger Vacuum Insulated Bottle with “Super Clean Plus Processing” for Carrying Sports Drinks