NEW DELHI: More women in the national capital are consuming liquor that is leading to a boom in the alcohol market, the latest survey by Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD) said.“At Rs 2.7 lakh crore, India’s alcohol market is among the world’s fastest-growing.
Globally, 6 per cent of the alcohol growth is driven by India and women are drinking a lot more alcohol as compared to the last decade. In Delhi, for instance, 40 per cent of men and 20 per cent of women (almost 15 lakh women) are alcohol consumers,” CADD founder Prince Singhal said.
The study was conducted over three months covering over 5,000 women of different age groups. “Higher disposable incomes, changes in attitudes over alcohol consumption, and the proliferation of eating out culture have spurred demand for alcohol,” Singhal added. The CADD founder said that women are no longer dependent on having alcohol in the company of men and are doing so while going out alone or in a group.
Expenditure on alcohol by women has increased considerably especially among working women. As per the WHO safe drinking limits for women, they should not consume more than 8-10 drinks per week and not more than two drinks per day and three drinks on special occasions.