Women from Assam tops the list in consumption of alcohol in India

Oct. 28: Men had succumbed to alcohol long back, but women had held back. Not long ago women didn’t dare to damage their image by showing the world that she in fact drinks and enjoys it too. Now women pour and fill their glasses with more than just lemon water and juice. Wine, beer, whiskey, vodka or a cocktail; women have come to love their drinks.

In a startling revelation, women from Assam has topped the list when it comes to alcohol consumption compared to their counterparts in the country.  This was revealed in recent survey released by the Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW).

The data released by the Health Ministry for the year 2019-20 showed that 26.3% women in Assam, who are in the 15-49 years’ age category, consume alcohol, which is the highest among all states and union territories. The corresponding national figure in that category is 1.2%. The report cited that 44.8% women in Assam consume alcohol around once a week, as compared to the national figure of 35%.

The figure for Assam had jumped from 7.5% in National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-3) to 26.3% in NFHS-4. Around 35.6% men in Assam in the 15-49 years’ age category consume alcohol, as compared to the national figure of 29.2%.

Among the reasons why women drink, another survey by by the Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD) says “mostly all social activities are centred around alcohol, and alcohol is seen as a quick and easy social lubricant, and when everyone is doing the same thing, it does not seem like a problem. It is just the norm.”