May 10: There was a 10 percent increase in global consumption per adult of wine and spirits during 1990-2017, but India saw a jump of 100% during this period with the researchers foreseeing another jump of 50% by 2030, according to a Research by Lancet released on Wednesday, with China showing an increase of 70% and both India and China expected to add significantly to the increase in consumption in the next 10 years
If current trends continue, global consumption per capita will rise another 17 per cent over the next decade, according to a Report in The Lancet. By 2030 half of all adults worldwide will drink alcohol, and almost a quarter will binge drink at least once a month, according to projections covering 189 countries. India has a far smaller percentage of the population that drank alcohol in 2017; 40 per cent of men and 22 per cent of women, with an average of less than 6 liters of pure alcohol. (a 750 mL bottle of wine with 12.5-13% of alcohol by volume contains 100 mL of pure alcohol). Less than 2% of the total alcohol consumption is in the form of wine in India.
The World Health Organization (WHO) goal is to reduce "harmful alcohol use" 10 per cent by 2025. Alcohol is linked to over 200 diseases and accounts annually for more than 3 million deaths, says WHO.
Globally, about 237 million men and 46 million women suffer from alcohol-related disorders, with the highest rates in Europe (15 per cent and 3.5 per cent, respectively, for men and women) and North America (11.5 per cent and 5 per cent).
"Before 1990, most alcohol was consumed in high-income countries, with the highest use levels recorded in Europe," said lead author Jakob Manthey, a researcher at the Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy in Dresden, Germany. “However, this pattern has changed substantially, with large reductions across Eastern Europe but substantial increases in several middle-income countries such as China (70% growth in 1990-2017), India (with 100% growth from 1990 to 2017), and Vietnam," he adds.
The authors of the Study claim that the world is not on track to achieve global targets to reduce harmful alcohol use and have called for more aggressive counter-measures such as higher taxes and a total ban on advertising. In India, taxes are already high-to the tune of 250-400% All inclusive) and the advertising is totally banned but surrogate advertising exists, especially in the TV media and events. No online sales are allowed and interstate sales are minimal too.
In France, men drank the equivalent of 19 litres of pure alcohol, and women just under 6 for a total average of just over 12 litres. In terms of total spirits, India thus consumes half that of France.
Figures for the United States were somewhat lower - 15 and 4.5 litres for men and women, respectively, averaging just under 10 - with slightly higher percentages of teetotalers.
In China, men drank more than 11 liters of alcohol, mostly in the form of spirits and beer, while women imbibed 3 liters, at an average of just over 7 litres. There was nearly 70 per cent jump in 2017 from China's consumption in 1990.
By 2030, the US and China will change places; Chinese adults are forecast to drink more than 10 litres on average, while American consumption of alcohol will drop slightly to 9.5 litres.
The percentage of the population who drink alcohol will also shift by 2030; 77 per cent in China consuming alcohol at least once in a while, compared to only 73 per cent in the United States.
The lowest alcohol intakes in 2017 were in North Africa and the Middle East, typically less than 1 liter per adult per year. (although one wonders how they calculated the figures for middle eastern countries where the consumption is very restricted –but only officially.)
The highest were in central and eastern European countries, with several averaging more than 12 litres per adult per year. Moldova had the distinction of ranking number one, with more than 15 litres consumed, while Russia, France and Portugal were not too far behind with 12 liters consumption.
Globally, alcohol intake went up from 5.9 litres of pure alcohol per adult in 1990 to 6.5 litres in 1997 and is projected to jump to 7.6 litres in 2030. Worldwide, 45 per cent of recorded alcohol consumption is in the form of liquor as in grain alcohol. Another 15 per cent is beer; only 12 per cent is wine.
According to the news report More than a quarter of alcohol-related deaths in 2016 were due to accidents, violence and self-harm; a fifth due to digestive problems; and a fifth to coronary diseases.
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