While it is known that alcohol consumption has always been high among men, the recently released National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) for 2019-2021 has found that only 1% of women, aged 15-49, drink alcohol in the country, compared to 22% of men. The overall consumption is high in rural areas, stated the report.
In Karnataka, 0.3% of women consume alcohol, below the national average. But 23.1% of men do so, which is higher than the national average.
NIMHANS Director Pratima Murthy said the reduction in consumption as per the NFHS-5 report could also be due to the non-availability during the COVID-19 lockdown, as the report is for 2019-2021.
