ALCOHOLISM AND ITS TREATMENT IN INDIA : A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

Alcohol use is typically established during adolescence and initiation of use at a young age poses risks for short- and long-term health and social outcomes. However, there is limited understanding of the onset, progression and impact of alcohol use among adolescents in India. The aim of this review is to synthesise the evidence about prevalence, patterns and correlates of alcohol use and alcohol use disorders in adolescents from India. In recent years, rates of excessive alcohol use and alcohol related mortality have risen sharply in many countries. During the same period the relaxation of alcohol control measures and increased deuce have made it easier for people to obtain alcohol beverages. At the same time the production and distributing’ of alcoholic beverages involves the livelihood of millions of persons and provides very substantial revenues to Government. Patterns of alcohol use are affected by culture and history and intertwined with the rhythms of work life. Recent international research on gender and alcohol has clearly demonstrated that programs and policies that try to be gender–sensitive cannot ignore cultural influences. Large cross–national variation in gender differences in drinking behavior indicates that biological factors alone cannot account for differences in how women and men drink. To be gender– sensitive, education, prevention and treatment programs, and alcohol policies must take into account both biological differences in alcohol effects and culturally defined gender roles that specify expected and tolerated drinking behavior for women and men.