Alcohol causes world's third highest number of deaths

by S.B. Karalliyadda

The annual conference to draw the attention of world powers on the increase of crimes, murders burglaries and other anti social activities that are relevant to the well-being of the human race resulting in the use of alcohol and narcotic drugs was held in Thailand.

It was reported that the third highest world deaths and physical disability is caused due to alcohol. According to world statistics published by the WHO in 2004 two million and three points (2.3m) deaths or 3.8 percent of the total deaths recorded globally are caused due to consumption of alcohol and use of narcotic drugs. Similarly 4.5 percent of the world's population suffer from disability due to these reasons. It is really pathetic that the victims are between 15 to 29 years. These groups become easily vulnerable to respiratory diseases, cancer, cirrhosis which are non-communicable diseases.

Alcohol consumption

The high-powered UN Committee on prevention of these non-communicable diseases has already focused attention on their strategies to prevent this situation. Their attention has been drawn to the incidents of home violence, road accidents, HIV, TB. resulting from the use of alcohol and narcotic drugs in the world including States and Federations and are now in the process of preparing multilateral, bilateral and unilateral plans of action to face this situation.

The General Assembly of the UN forecast that domestic conflicts, internal family disputes, disharmony in the societies arising due to liquor may prevent the achieving of the millennium economic goals anticipated by the planners, economists and the States.

It has been found that the Europeans consume 12.5 litres annually over the other consumers. They have classified the consumption patterns into six categories as Eastern, Central, Western, Central Western, Southern Europe and the Nordic countries.

Each region has its own drinking culture and patterns. The East Europeans consume annually 14.5 million litres above the annual liquor consumption of the world, while it is 12.4m in Central Europe and 11.2m in the Western Europe and 12.4m in the Southern Europe.

In these countries one out of ten men and one out of thirty-three women become victims of cancer due to liquor. In Ireland it has been estimated that dollars 3.7 millions are annually lost to the venue due to liquor consumption. It has been found that thirty percent (30 percent ) of the youth between 16-17 years of age consume liquor.

In countries such as Canada and England a minimum price is fixed for sale of beer. That is because drinking beer is cheaper than drinking water in these countries.

In New Zealand out of the 357 youth and child deaths between 2005 to 2007, 87 deaths were between four weeks to 24 years. These were reported due to drunken driving or travelling in vehicles driven under the influence of liquor.

In Australia 24,700 are admitted annually to hospitals due to liquor consumption and 750 of them die. It has been recorded that among the increased victims of road accidents from 1999, thirty three were men and sixty six were women.

In China which has the largest population, a survey revealed that 55.6 percent of men and 15 percent of women are addicted to alcohol. In China 26 percent of men and 8 percent of women consume liquor daily during five to seven days of the week.

Most of the countries believe that the youth get used to liquor due to media advertisements and these countries have introduced a ban on liquor advertisements.

The Temperance Movement in Sri Lanka completed one hundred years on July 17 and the Sir D. B. Jayathilaka memorial oration was delivered by Dr. Anula Wijesundara, the Consultant Physician of the Sri Jayawardanapura Hospital. Her revelations about Sri Lanka on liquor consumption were shocking and disgusting. She said that while serving in Ragama hospital she found how apt the 'Ra-gama' village name was.

When she served in Polonnaruwa (1986 - 88) she treated a few malaria patients but the situation there has now changed.

Population

According to the Excise Commissioner's report in 2010 the per capita liquor consumption has increased to 7.4 litres per day. For those above fifteen years of age it records 15.2 litres. A survey revealed that forty three percent of the Urban population and sixty five percent males and twenty five percent of women of the estate population consume liquor.

A survey carried out in 2008 revealed that eighteen percent of new entrants to universities consume liquor. It has become a pattern in village life to serve liquor in social occasions such as harvesting, re-planting, weddings, funerals and even at alms-giving.

Even on birth anniversaries of children, parents shamelessly serve liquor and this habit has now become a part of our Sinhala Buddhist culture.

Social problems

Sri Lanka's liquor consumption according to the reports of the Excise Commissioner's figures from 2000 to 2010 has increased to such an extent that in 2010, we consumed seventy-five point two (75.2) million litres of arrack, sixty seven (67) million litres of beer and six million (6m) litres of foreign liquor. An equal quantity of illicit liquor too has been consumed.

The increase in liquor consumption can be shown as arrack which was 50.35 million litres in 2005 increased to 75.25 million litres in 2010. Beer which was 50.66 million litres in 2005 increased to 66.54 million litres. Illicit liquor increased from 3.52 to 6.05 million litres in 2010.

Accordingly, the per capita consumption of liquor increased from 5.05 litres in 2005 to 7.41 litres in 2010.

This trend has contributed to the increase the number of murders, road accidents, crime, domestic violence, burglary, rape and all other anti social evils. There is a breakdown in the smooth functioning in the society due to liquor.

Conditions

There will be infighting which may affect the well being of a society. When liquor affects the brain there will be a breakdown in co-existence and welfare in such groups.

The mental conditions created will affect the development of a society and the programs aimed at developing an area will not receive the social benefits. Other health related problems associated with drinking are cirrhosis which has created a record in our country.

It is estimated that fifty out of fifty thousand in our population suffer from cirrhosis due to alcohol consumption. This affects the drinkers who consume 230 litres yearly or a quarter bottle of arrack a day for a certain period. Annually seven out of ten who are hard liquor drinkers die in our country. One out of four who are heart patients are those who consume liquor. Our rate of suicide due to drinking is one of the highest in the world.

In Sri Lanka while four-thousand commit suicide annually due to drinks the total for the whole world is one million.

In 1996 our suicide rate was forty eight per 100,000 people. Our rate is forty percent while in other countries it is fifteen percent. Seven people die due to accidents caused by drunken driving.

It has been revealed that this is due to the availability of liquor in any village today from restaurants wine shops or taverns our villages.

Added to this it has been estimated that there are 200,000 illicit liquor booths throughout the country. The Excise Ordinance No. 14 of 1977 has been amended with section(a) to its Section 28 empowering the Minister to issue licences renew or cancel at his will despite whatever other regulations on the issue of liquor licenses.

Today licences are issued only to hotels and restaurants approved by the Tourist Board.