Alcoholism in India
In
today’s India
along with the other social problems the alcoholism is the most effective and
influential problem. The existing problem of alcoholism depends to a great
extent on certain social definitions held within a given society at a given
time. This reflects through our agreement or disagreement over the appropriate
use of alcohol. For medical purposes, use of alcohol on a moderate scale may be
approved. But for non medical purposes, for pleasure or other personal reasons
use of narcotic drinks is considered harmful not only for the individual but
also for his family and the society at large.
You cannot look at a stranger and say
with confidence from his appearance that he is an alcoholic. It is easy to tell
that a man is drunk but not that he is a habitual drinker. Yet continued
excessive drinking does produce bodily change and these in turn result in
illness both physical and mental.
Alcoholism
is not necessarily harmful either to the individuals or to the social system.
But excessive drinking and alcoholism involve significant social costs in terms
of loss of employment, family break-up and social disorder.
When it is used on a moderate
scale, alcohol is said to have certain beneficial effect.
- It makes life in a highly tensioned world more bearable.
- It is a valuable social lubricant.
- It unlocks the door to a more vivid inner life.
- As a drug, it can relieve one of pain and produce a pleasant feeling.
- It is also used in treatment of the sick.
Why do men do drink?
Men drink to share their joy and happiness.
They drink during the celebration or parties.
They drink when they are depressed or sad.
They drink to avoid tension.
They drink to gain confidence.
They drink to keep themselves warm.
They drink because they are tired.
They drink just for fun sake.
They drink to be accepted by their friend.
They drink when they go through some crisis like break-up,
family problem etc.
They drink to keep themselves healthy… drink as medicine.
They drink because they are addicted to it.
The
misery of a dreary and unending round of toil in life leads many to take drinks
as the only blessed palliative medicine.
Occupational exhaustion, is
another factor that makes the people working the extreme heat of the blast
furnace, in the extremely noisy factory to look forward eagerly to the respite
which intoxication affords them.
Bad
housing and lack of adequate recreational facilities also lead men to resort to
drinking. Their houses being cold, dark, dismal and sordid do not provide for
satisfaction of their emotions, in a sane and healthy manner.
Ignorance
and false notions also make men indulge in drinking.
Men doing heavy manual labour
believe that alcohol gives them added strength and vigor with which they can
pursue their work.
In India some are
born drunkards whose neurological heritage is such that they are unable to face
reality. In their desperate effort to escape the reality, they become of
drunkenness.
In order to
establish rapport with one’s fellow beings, an individual may take his first
drink, just because every one else does it, and gradually repeated performance
leads to ‘perversion of the hard instinct.’
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