NEW DELHI: Indians are drinking less but more men are making alcohol a habit. Rising alcohol consumption among women is a myth even though more females are having country liquor, beer and other beverages, according to a study based on the National Family Health Survey (NFHS).
The study published in Oxford Academic journal claimed that drinking among Indian men has come down by 22.37 percent compared to the previous NFHS-4 (2015-16) survey.
In the case of women, there has been a significant 39 percent drop. At the same time, the proportion of men drinking daily has gone up by 24.19 percent and those having it "once a week" has shot up by 7.24 percent.
There has been a jump in women's use of country liquor, beer and stiff drinks. The number of women having 'tadi madi' -- a local concoction -- and wine has come down. The findings cover drinking habits in India between 2016 and 2020 and based its findings on the two NFHS surveys of 4 and 5.
The study also claimed that "over the years, different surveys have reported that an overwhelmingly large proportion of Indians are classified as abstainers. As a corollary, the total alcohol consumed in India is consumed by a relatively smaller proportion of the population."
According to Dr Yatan Pal Singh Balhara, Additional Professor of Psychiatry, National Drug Treatment Centre (NDDTC), Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the lead author of the study, the survey findings contradict a popular notion that more women are drinking.
The study shows that the use of alcohol among women has decreased, and even daily drinkers among the female population are also less, he told this newspaper.
The survey said that increasing daily drinkers among men was a concern.
Although the NFHS does not capture data on alcohol use disorders, it can be inferred that given the pattern of drinking among men in India, those who report almost daily use might be at greater risk of or are likely to have developed problematic patterns of alcohol use, said the report, adding that there is a need to invest in both prevention-oriented and treatment-oriented interventions.
The response rate among men and women has been over 90 percent in the survey.
According to a national study, the age of initiation to alcohol in India is 13.6 years.
The study also found that there was a reduction in the proportion of men across all ages who said they drink daily.
“The Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2018 by WHO estimated a 38 percent increase in per capita alcohol consumption among individuals aged 15 years and above in India during 2010-17,” said Dr Balhara.
What the study shows:
Drinking among men has come down by 22.37 per cent
The drop in drinking among women is 39.02 per cent
Number of men drinking daily goes up by 24.19 per cent
Number of men drinking once a week jumps by 7.14 per cent
There is a significant increase in the proportion of people drinking country liquor, beer, hard liquor and other alcoholic beverages among women.
There is a decrease in the proportion of women reporting use of “tadi madi” and wine.
Contrary to media reports, NFHS data shows drinking among women is declining