BHUBANESWAR: Even as the number of men tipplers has declined in Odisha in the last five years, alcohol consumption by women has almost doubled during the period. As per the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS), alcohol consumption by women, aged above 15 years, is up from 2.4 per cent in 2015-16 to 4.3 per cent in 2020-21.
However, it has come down to 28.8 per cent from 39.3 per cent during the period in case of men. Busting the myth that urban people drink more alcohol, the NFHS-5, revealed both men and women of 15 years and above in rural Odisha consume more alcohol than their urban counterparts.
The survey findings indicated 30.2 per cent rural men consume alcohol against 22.7 per cent urban men. Similarly, the number of men tipplers in urban areas of the State has dropped from 32.2 per cent to 22.7 per cent . In case of women, the rural and urban share is 4.9 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.
Alarmingly, the alcohol consumption by rural women has increased from 2.6 per cent to 4.9 per cent whereas it has decreased from 41.3 per cent to 30.2 per cent in case of men. However, there is no significant change in alcohol use by urban women during the last five-year period as it is up by only 0.1 per cent (from 1.3 per cent to 1.4 per cent).
Not only alcohol, the consumption of tobacco by women has also increased significantly as compared to men. While only 17.3 per cent women were found consuming tobacco during 2015-16, at least 26 per cent of the surveyed women admitted to have been consuming tobacco now.
Here also the rural women are ahead of their urban counterparts as 26 pc of the fairer sex in villages consume tobacco as against 16.6 per cent in towns and cities. The percentage of men using tobacco has come down to 51.6 per cent from 55.9 per cent. It is down from 58.8 per cent to 54.1 per cent in rural areas and from 45.3 per cent to 40.5 per cent in urban areas.
Health experts said the the finding of increasing trend of alcohol use by women and decreasing trend by men in the State has various implications. A relatively lower proportion of the men population currently using alcohol compared to the previous survey years could be the impact of interventions targeted at primary prevention of alcohol use disorders, they said.
General Secretary of Milita Odisha Nishanibarana Abhiyan Mamata Mohapatra said alcohol consumption in rural areas is more as tribal men and women have been taking locally prepared alcohol (Handia) for ages. “Nowadays it has been aristocracy in case of rich socialite women. May be their numbers are increasing because they are frustrated with their lives and suffering from depression. They need the support of their families,” she added.