Why in the news?
India has reported one of the highest rates of heavy episodic alcohol drinking, with lakhs needing clinical and social support. There are several reasons for this large-scale consumption, also the consequences are very detrimental. So let us discuss in detail about Alcohol Consumption in India.
Current Status
(a) Alcohol and its beverages are made up of ethanol, which is a psychoactive and obnoxious substance with dependence-producing properties.
(b) Alcohol has been extensively used in many cultures for years, but it poses detrimental health risks and harms.
(c) The safe level of alcohol consumption is zero. Yet around twenty-three per cent of Indian men and one per cent of women consume alcohol (NFHS-5).
Reasons for Consumption
(i) Alcohol use is influenced by a complex mix of biopsychosocial, commercial, and policy factors.
(ii) Biologically, some people are genetically prone to addiction. A few are psychologically and socially driven. Also, stress relief, peer pressure, and media portrayals that normalise drinking are other reasons.
(iii) Commercially, the industry targets fresh and younger consumers with varied products, fake advertising, and promotions. All these strategies, often magnified by social media, give rise to their consumption.
(iv) Easy access and availability due to extensive liquor store locations and attractive packaging. Also, pricing makes it affordable for all, from the rural poor to the urban poor.
(v) Policy-wise, the alcohol industry strictly influences regulation, resisting stricter laws by giving the pretext of its revenue-creating capacity, and avoiding advertising bans through hidden marketing tactics.
Impacts of Alcohol Consumption
(i) Health Impact: Its persistent use significantly increases risks of various detrimental diseases, non-communicable diseases like cancer, and gives rise to aggression, crime, suicides, and abnormal behaviour.
(ii) Economic Impact: Though states earn massive income through excise duty (~₹2.5 lakh crore every year), the social cost outweighs this gain, as per NITI Aayog estimates. Absence from the workplace, job loss, and reduced efficiency are major results.
(iii) Social Impact: NCRB reports shows a high relation between alcohol use and cases of domestic violence, marital rape, and child neglect. Easy availability, peer pressure, and glorification on social media have led to a rise in consumption by the very young generation, specifically in metro cities.
Regulation Status
(a) Alcohol regulation is the State’s jurisdiction, giving every State authority over legislation, excise taxes, supply chain management, licensing and manufacturing, sale and consumption regulations, prohibition, and pricing.
(b) Some States like Bihar, Gujarat, Mizoram, and Nagaland adopted complete negation. While others like Andhra and Kerala encourage alcohol sales with policies like affordable pricing and marketing conventional beverages.
Various Policies
(i) Earlier, alcohol was abolished from India’s 2012 National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, but was later inducted in the 2021 National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction under Nasha Mukta Bharat Abhiyan.
(ii) The National Mental Health Policy (NMHP) 2014 acknowledged the role of alcohol in mental retardation and suicide prevention and recommended the deamand for a specific action plan.
(iii) The National Health Policy (NHP) 2017 mentioned curtailing alcohol use with the help of higher taxation.
(iv) The National Suicide Prevention Strategy (NSPS) 2022 assessed alcohol as a major risk factor for suicides, suggesting a national alcohol control policy and methods to restrict alcohol accessibility.
(v) The National Action Plan and Monitoring Framework for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NMAP) 2017-2022 also raised the voice for a national alcohol policy.
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Suggestions and Way Forward
(a) Regulating alcohol in India is of utmost importance, but complicated due to its relations with State revenues, societal norms, and politics.
(b) A holistic, empirical, and equitable systems approach is required.
(c) Pricing alcohol to reduce misuse without encouraging illicit liquor, earmarking health taxes for public health
(d) Restricting alcohol availability in daily circumstances.
(e) Regulating digital and influencer-driven advertising, enforcing plain packaging and warning labels,
(f) Increasing public awareness of alcohol’s health risks, and using AI to control online alcohol content and misinformation.
(g) A unified National Alcohol Control Policy is essential to prioritise public health over profits and ensure long-term well-being.
Conclusion
Article 47 of the Constitution calls for the improvement of public health and the prohibition of harmful substances. To effectively address the drug menace, India requires stronger regulations, enhanced laws, and improved coordination among states. Formulating a holistic national policy emphasises that prevention, rehabilitation, and stricter enforcement are necessary.