Doctors raise alarm as alcohol consumption hits new high in Delhi

STOP  ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION 

Doctors raise alarm as alcohol consumption hits new high in Delhi

For the first-of-its-kind research study, experts analysed more than 65,000 households, based on data from the 68th round of the Consumer Expenditure Survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office in 2011-12. 

If the air doesn't get you, booze surely will. Delhi consumes five lakh litres of alcohol worth Rs 6 crore every month, a new survey by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) done in collaboration with the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) has found.

Across the country, Indians consume a humongous 4.5 crore litres of alcoholic drinks every month and spend a whopping Rs 410 crores on it, says the AIIMS-ISI report.

For the first-of-its-kind research study, experts analysed more than 65,000 households, based on data from the 68th round of the Consumer Expenditure Survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office in 2011-12.

That is not all. According to the National Drug Survey 2019 released by the Union Ministry of Health last month, 40 per cent of men and 20 per cent of women in Delhi consume alcohol.

"Households in India, on an average, consumed 0.18L of all alcoholic beverages every month (0.22L in rural areas; 0.10L in urban areas). The absolute quantity of alcohol consumed was higher among higher income groups in both rural and urban areas," elaborates Akash Sood, corresponding author of the AIIMS-ISI study.

"Indians spend Rs 410 crore every month on 4.5 crore litres of drinks. In Delhi, the figure is nearly Rs 6 crore per month. Delhiites consume five lakh litres of alcohol on a monthly basis, on an average," he adds.

The findings of the AIIMS study were published in the latest issue of Asian Journal of Psychiatry.

A disturbing trend

The National Drug Survey 2019 released by the Union Ministry of Health last month, study noted that that the national prevalence of alcohol use of people aged between 10 years and 75 years is 27.3 per cent.

The survey, which gauged the magnitude of substance abuse in the country, found that 43 per cent of people around the country consumed more than four drinks on an average -- on a single occasion.

"Nationwide, the day-time consumption is about 21 per cent. In 26 per cent cases of physical fights and in 4 per cent road accidents, the influence of alcohol was also found," the National Drug Survey said.

It suggested that alcohol consumption was reported in all age groups, including among children aged 10-17 years. There are about 16 crore people who consume alcohol in the country, it said.

Use of alcohol is considerably higher among men (27.3%) as compared to just 1.6% among women, according to the Ministry of Health study.

Patients in the making

Records from the Capital's leading hospitals suggest that 20 per cent of fresh cases reported in the outpatients department (OPD) and emergency sections are caused by consumption of alcohol.

These cases include patients coming complaining of chronic liver disease, alcoholic pancreatic disease, alcoholic gastritis, alcohol withdrawal delirium, fights caused by addiction.

"The AIIMS-ISI analysis pointed out that the consumption of hard drinks in India is rising tremendously. With the rise in income, households tend to drink more and that too, expensive alcohol brands. Looking at the trends in income and expenditure, alcohol taxation and pricing policies should be considered as these affect public health," said Dr Atul Ambekar, professor of psychiatry at AIIMS's National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, the main author of the AIIMS-ISI study.

On an average, the Capital's households spend about one per cent of hard-earned income on alcohol every month.

Harmful use of alcohol is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in the country. As per the WHO, problems arising from alcohol intake were responsible for 5.1 per cent of the global burden of disease, equivalent to 139 million disability adjusted life years in 2014, says the AIIMS-ISI report.

Expert-speak

"Alcohol damages the liver, heart, pancreas, lungs and kidneys. People who consume it are more prone to infections and have poor immunity. They tend to suffer from hypertension, obesity, diabetes, kidney failure, prostate and urology cancers. About 20-35 per cent patients at my OPD have a history of drinking and get diagnosed with serious renal ailments," said Dr Anup Kumar, head of kidney transplant and urology department at Safdarjung Hospital.

Dr Manish Nigam, a gastroenterologist at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital said that alcohol damages all vital organs such as kidney, liver, pancreas, heart and blood vessels.

"We see at least 20 per cent of new cases at our hospital owing to alcohol consumption -- including from injuries, accidents and chronic diseases of liver and pancreas. In such patients, the life span is low and the risk of fatality high," he said.

Dr Rajeev Mehta, vice-chairman of psychiatric department at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, agrees.

"In Delhi, the number of cases with alcohol addiction is definitely increasing. The psychiatric department gets cases of even school students addicted to alcohol. We see at least three to five fresh case of alcohol-dependence every day in the OPD. People drink because of stress, for adventure and peer pressure. But they don't realise that they've got addicted to it," he told Mail Today.

As per the National Drug Survey 2019, nearly one in five alcohol users suffer from alcohol dependence and needs urgent treatment.

"About 5.7 crore individuals in the country need help for their alcohol-use problems. However, only about one in 38 people with alcohol-dependence report getting any treatment or help with alcohol problems. Only about one in 180 people with alcohol dependence has received inpatient treatment or hospitalization for help with alcohol problems," said Dr Mehta.

sources oF :-https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/doctors-raise-alarm-as-alcohol-consumption-hits-new-high-in-delhi-1490440-2019-03-31