Story in Numbers: Sobering facts about alcohol use and abuse in India

Alcohol is consumed in every part of the country, including states with enforced prohibition. Moreover, alcohol use does not appear to be an exclusively male phenomenon. Although the prevalence of alcohol use among women is substantially lower than men, its use exists among women in almost all states.

Overall, about 5.2 per cent of the population aged 10-75 years (about 57 million individuals) need help for alcohol abuse (i.e., they consume alcohol in a harmful or dependent pattern).

In terms of absolute numbers, some states have a huge burden of people with alcohol dependence. About 75 per cent of people with alcohol