How and What are Indians Drinking? Findings from the National Family Health Survey.

Aims: To assess recent changes in the extent and pattern of alcohol use in India using the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data.

Methods: We used unit-level data from both rounds of NFHS. The pattern of alcohol use was categorized as: 'almost every day', 'almost once a week' and 'less than once a week'. The information was segregated for the urban and rural settings. Information was also available on the type of alcoholic beverage used by the respondents. The z test for differences in proportions was carried out for the study variables.

Results: Findings suggest a 22.37 and 39.02% reduction in the proportion of men and women who reported alcohol use, respectively. The proportion of men reporting 'almost every day' and 'about once a week' consumption of alcohol increased by 24.19 and 7.14%, respectively.

Conclusions: With the caveats of expected limitations of surveys, the findings suggest an overall decrease in alcohol use in India, though the proportion of men with more frequent alcohol has increased. There is a need to strengthen the investment in the initiatives targeted at the harms due to alcohol use.