Nagaland where liquor prohibition is in place has registered a high proportion of alcohol users in the category of ‘harmful or dependent alcohol use’, according to a recent study.
A report quoting the study has stated that alcohol is taking a toll on the health of individuals and economy of the State even though the prevailing Nagaland Liquor (Total Prohibition) Act, 1989.
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According to the study, 8.1 per cent of the population of Nagaland – or 3.62 lakh people – currently consume or use alcohol.
According to the ‘Magnitude of Substance Use in India, 2019’ report released by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in February, alcohol is the most common psychoactive substance used in India.
About 14.6 per cent of the population or 16 crore people between 10 and 75 years of age consume alcohol in the country.
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In the case of Nagaland, the report noted that although the State comes under the purview of alcohol prohibition as per law, 1.7 per cent of all alcohol users here fall in the category of ‘dependent alcohol use’ while 20 per cent fall under the category of ‘harmful’ use.
The study was carried out in four districts of Nagaland – Dimapur, Peren, Tuensang and Phek – with a sample size of 15000 respondents to include both rural and urban population.
Prevalence of current use of alcohol is higher among males than females in the State. It recorded that 14.5 per cent of males in the State consume alcohol. For every one woman who consumes alcohol, there are 17 alcohol-consuming men, according to study.