WHO Report Says Alcohol Consumption in India has Doubled Over 11 Years

According to the “Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2018” released by the World Health Organization (WHO) today, India has seen its per capita consumption of alcohol more than double between 2005 and 2016. The average amount of alcohol that a person in India consumed in 2005 was 2.4 litres, but this had gone up significantly by 2016 when the average quantity was 5.7 litres per person. The report also pointed out gender-based consumption statistics, and also what the primary causes of death as they related to alcohol consumption were.

Speaking at the presentation of the report, WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “Far too many people, their families and communities suffer the consequences of the harmful use of alcohol through violence, injuries, mental health problems and diseases such as cancer and stroke. It’s time to step up action to prevent this serious threat to the development of healthy societies.” Statistics represented in terms of 100,000 individuals globally, the report showed that 51.1 men and 27.1 women suffered from cirrhosis of the liver. In contrast, 181 men and 126.4 women suffered from some form of cancer that was caused by alcohol consumption.

Deaths resulting from alcohol saw 28% coming from injuries, which included those caused by interpersonal violence, self-harm and traffic accidents. The next highest causes of death were 21% due to digestive problems, and 19% from cardiovascular diseases linked to alcohol consumption.