Too Many Happy Hours? Per Capita Alcohol Intake In India Surged By 38 Per Cent In Last 7 Years, Says WHO 

A study conducted by WHO and Global Burden of Disease Study has revealed that India’s annual per capita intake alcohol intake has increased considerably over the last few years.

The study published today (8 May 2019) noted that India’s average consumption of alcohol by an adult per year had increased by 38 per cent in the last seven years, reports PTI.

The paper published in the Lancet Journal used statistics collected between 1990 and 2017 across 189 countries; it concluded that alcohol continues to be a major risk factor for disease and is linked to over 200 diseases.

Among the countries surveyed, Moldova had the highest alcohol intake of 15 litres per adult per year and Kuwait the least with 0.005 litres per person per year.

India’s alcohol intake increased from 4.3 litres per adult per year to 5.9 litres, a 38 per cent rise. Over the same time span, consumption increased only by a small margin in the US (9.3-9.8 litres) and in China (7.1-7.4 litres).

The global consumption is expected to grow from an average of 5.9 litres in 1990 to 7.6 in 2030.

As a result of increased alcohol consumption and population growth, the total volume of alcohol consumed globally per year has increased by 70 per cent from 20,999 million litres in 1990 to 35,676 million litres in 2017.