Reducing Alcohol Consumption in India

In recent years, there has been a continuous increase in per capita alcohol consumption in India. According to a 2018 report by the World Health Organization (WHO), India’s per capita alcohol consumption rose from 2.4 litres in 2005 to 5.7 litres in 2016. This growth can be attributed to factors such as changing demographics, improved living standards, higher incomes, shifting spending habits, and a growing culture of social drinking.

Educating consumers on responsible drinking is the way forward as it is understood that banning and elimination is not the real solution. The issue of excessive alcohol consumption can be addressed by:

1) Educating youth in 18 to 22 years age group  by directly engaging with them in professional institutions across the country discussing with them-

• Physiological and psychological impact of excessive Alcohol consumption
• Social and family issues arising out of  excessive Alcohol consumption
• Legal consequences of excessive Alcohol consumption

2) Sensitise and educate administrators towards taking various possible initiatives to control excessive Alcohol consumption especially among the youth.