Alcohol consumption in India is an issue. In the recent years, we have read or witnessed certain states, to be precise Bihar, banning alcohol and making the entire state a dry one. Other states like Kerala is also battling with the issue and many, especially the women folks, are advocating and fighting to make it a dry state. Well, this report will make us understand where we stand today when it comes to consumption of alcohol.
According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), per capita alcohol consumption in India has more than doubled from 2005 to 2016. It is said that the consumption of alcohol in the country has increased from 2.4 liters in 2005 to 5.7 liters in 2016 with 4.2 liters being consumed by men and 1.5 liters by women.
Talking about the trends in different regions of the world, the report highlighted that the total alcohol per capita consumption is expected to increase in half of the WHO regions by 2025 and said that the highest increase is expected in the South-East Asia Region. Interestingly, it is said that an increase of 2.2 litres is expected in India alone.
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Meanwhile, the second-highest increase is projected for the populations of the Western Pacific Region with an increase in per capita consumption of 0.9 litres of pure alcohol by 2025.
The report further stated that the total alcohol per capita consumption has increased globally after a relatively stable phase between 2000 and 2005. It is said that since then total per capita consumption rose from 5.5 liters in 2005 to 6.4 liters in 2010 and was still at the level of 6.4 liters in 2016.
Meanwhile, the report also highlighted that the harmful use of alcohol is one of the leading risk factors for population health worldwide and has a direct impact on many health-related targets of the WHO’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The report has said that the harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 diseases and injury conditions around the world. Needless to mention, the report has also said that some 2.3 billion people are current drinkers and that globally, more than a quarter of all 15–19 year-olds are current drinkers.
