Bhubaneswar: Men and women alchoholics in Odisha consume more liquor as compared to that of the national averages of consumption, a recent National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS) report released by the Union Health department revealed.
Besides, the number of such consumers is more in rural areas than urban areas in the state. An average of 18 per cent males above 15 years of age consumes alcohol in India and 28.8 per cent males in the same category drink alcohol in Odisha, the report mentioned.
According to a source, an agency engaged by the Health department had conducted a door to door survey of people above 15 years of age. During the survey carried out in between 2019 to 2021, the data was collected from as many as 6,36,699 households across the country, of which at least 26,476 households belong to Odisha.
Notably, in the aforesaid age group, 1.3 per cent women in India and 4.3 per cent women in the state drink alchohol. Similarly, 1.4 per cent women drinking alchohol are in rural areas and 4.9 per cent women are in urban areas of the state. A total of 18.8 per cent of the population in India and 28.8 per cent in Odisha are alchoholics.
PNN