In the latest Health and Family Welfare Statistics (HFWS) in India, it has been reported that 26.3 per cent of women and 59.4 per cent of men between 15-54 years of age consume alcohol in Assam.
This is the highest in the country and the national percentages for the same age group are respectively 1.2 and 29.5.
However, in terms of percentage of the population for both men and women in the age group 15-49 years who drink alcohol about once a week out of a total population (men and women) who drink alcohol, Assam women scored 44.8 per cent and men scored 51.9 per cent.
Meanwhile, in the 15-54 age group for women, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, and Karnataka recorded the lowest alcohol consumption with 0.1 per cent.
In the same category for women, Jammu & Kashmir occupies the second position with 23 per cent women found to be consuming alcohol.
In the 15-49 age group, with 59 per cent, men from Arunachal Pradesh were found to be the highest consumer of alcohol in the country.
The HFWS report further revealed that percentage of the population of men and women in the 15-49 years who drink alcohol about once a week was found to be 45.2 per cent and 55.1 per cent respectively for women and men of Arunachal Pradesh.
For women and men in Nagaland, the percentage of the population who drink alcohol about once a week in the 15-49 age group was found to be 65.5 per cent 46.4 per cent respectively.
As for the other states from the northeast, the percentage of the population of men and women in the 15-49 years who drink alcohol about once a week are- Manipur 21.3 per cent and 40.1 per cent; 25.1 per cent and 42.4 per cent; Mizoram 20.3 per cent and 41.2 per cent; Nagaland 65.5 per cent and 46.4 per cent; Sikkim 33.9 per cent and 43.5 per cent and Tripura 50.8 per cent and 47.1 per cent.