In ¡®dry¡¯ Gujarat and in just five years, the percentage of alcohol consumption among women has doubled and nearly halved in case of men during the same time.
This was revealed in the recently released National Family Health Survey (NFHS), 2019-20 report where a total of 33,343 women and 5,351men were surveyed during the period.
Of these 200 women (0.6%) and 310 men (5.8%) claimed that they consumed alcohol against 68 women (0.3%) and 668 men (11.1%) during the 2015 NFHS survey when 6,018 men and 22,932 women were surveyed.
Comparing the two data sets reveals that in 2015 just 0.1% of the urban women said that they consumed alcohol whi- le in 2020, 0.3% of the women surveyed reported they consumed liquor.
In case of men in 2015, there were 10.6% who revealed they consumed liquor, while this reduced to 4.6% in 2020. In rural areas, the percentage of women consuming alcohol jumped from 0.4% in 2015 to 0.8% in 2020. In case of men, the number crashed from 11.4% in 2015 to 6.8% in 2020.
Sociologist Gaurang Jani says, ¡°Drinking liquor is deep rooted among several communities in the state. It is a custom in these communities, where both men and women sit together and drink on special occasions. Our tribal population is an example, and in certain communities as well. It only became a crime in over half a century.¡±
A senior IPS official seconded the fact but said that the numbers are still underestimated. ¡°Many people will not reveal their liquor status as it¡¯s a crime in the state. But the number of permit holders and the increasing liquor raids will reveal the true picture.¡±