Alcohol kills 15 Indians everyday
According to an IndiaSpend analysis of 2013 National Crime Bureau Records data, alcohol causes an Indian death every 96 minutes. A World Health Organisation report stated the per capita consumption of alcohol in India in 2003-2005 was 1.6 litres. It increased to 2.2 litres, an increase by 38% in 2010-12. The report also revealed that Indian's comprise 11% of global binge drinkers.
According to a World Health Organisation report dated January 2015, abusing alcohol causes more than 200 disease and injury conditions. In 2012, 5.9 % of all global deaths were attributed to alcohol consumption. There is a causal relationship between abuse of alcohol and a range of mental and behavioural disorders. Latest causal relationships have been established between harmful drinking and infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS.
In 1954, 1/4th of India was under alcohol prohibition and a nationwide prohibition was expected by 1958. Gujarat has a sumptuary law in force that proscribes the manufacture, storage, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. The Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in 1989. As of 2016, Kerala and Bihar also have varying degrees of prohbition in place.
Alcohol is consumed by 30% of Indians. The age of initiation of consumption stands at less than 17 years. According to the National Sampling Survey office, an average rural Indian consumes about 11.4 litres of alcohol per year, while an urban Indian consumes 5 litres. 25% of road accidents are caused by drunk driving.
In 2015, consumption of illegally brewed liquor claimed more than 100 lives in Malwani, Mumbai. As many as 1,699 people died in 2014 after consuming spurious/illicit liquor, an increase of 339% from 2013.
According to the NCRB data, Maharashtra registered the maximum number of alcohol-related deaths. NCRB data suggests that alcohol fuels major crimes such as sexual harassment and robberies. Tamil Nadu has the highest number of widows under the age of 30, due to alcohol abuse. A quarter of all hospital admissions and 69% of crimes in Kerala are in part due to intoxication.
According to Euromonitor's annual report, due to price hikes, bans and distribution changes in a few states, the alcoholic drinks segment in India grew just 0.2% in 2015. The market grew 6% in 2014 & 2013, 9% in 2012 and 11% in 2011.
