Despite having the basic knowledge of the ill effects of alcohol and tobacco consumption, a considerable proportion of the population still consumes such substances. While various steps are taken to tackle the menace of drug abuse, the focus on tackling the abuse of alcohol and tobacco appears to be comparatively less. Experts point out that the failure of people to consume alcohol responsibly and within a limit is something that needs to be addressed.
Clinical psychologist Mukul Sharma states, “About sixty per cent of teenagers and adults consume alcohol. Whether it’s a birthday party or basic hangouts the consumption of alcohol is considered necessary so basically now it has become a fashion which is wrong. In case you want to drink for some reason then it must be responsible drinking and it should be consumed in limit because overconsumption of anything is harmful.”
Expressing his view on this, 25-year-old Rohit Shukla said, “Alcohol and tobacco are legally sold despite the harm they can cause. Maybe this is because it is highly accessible and profitable as the revenues generated from alcohol and cigarettes are huge. People need to be worried about the fairly common consumption of alcohol and tobacco because the damage is much more severe in this case.”
A consumer of alcohol who wishes to remain anonymous said that the choice of using the product lies in the hands of the user. “It is important to know whether you can stop once you’ve started consumption. If a smoker really wants to stop smoking then there are different ways to do that.” On being asked about the option of prohibition, she opined that banning alcohol and tobacco in India seems improbable. Strict laws and better regulations regarding the consumption of alcohol and tobacco would be more useful, she added.
Meanwhile, suggesting a solution to this problem Sharma said, “Consumption of alcohol is increasing year after year so as a solution a limit can be set by the government. For example during the Covid lockdown due to lack of availability the consumption rate decreased automatically so such initiatives might work and also, parents need to be more attentive as they have a major role in preventing their children from consuming such things.”
Thursday, 11 March 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
