According to a recent report by WHO, at least 2.6 lakh Indians die due to alcohol consumption every year.
Of these, almost 1 lakh deaths occur in road accidents that are indirectly related to alcohol abuse, 30,000 occur in cancer patients that can also be traced to the use of alcohol, and 1.4 lakh people succumb to liver cirrhosis.
Liver cirrhosis is considered to be the biggest health problem owing to the consumption of alcohol in India.
Oral cancer surgeon from Tata Memorial Hospital, Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi told TOI:
As health is a state subject, various states follow different rules. It is time for a Central law to standardize norms foralcohol use across the country.
The WHO report further claimed that around 6,000 people are killed because of alcohol every day across the world.
It also revealed that of all the deaths caused by alcohol, 28 per cent are due to injuries while 21 per cent are because of digestive disorders, 19 per cent are a result of cardiovascular diseases and the remaining ones are due to cancer, mental disorder and other health conditions.
Overall, alcohol is responsible for some 3 million deaths worldwide, which is over 5% of all deaths on the planet.
While it is okay to drink alcohol in moderation, we shouldn’t let it take a toll on our lives.