Correlates of problematic unrecorded alcohol consumption in Sikkim, Northeast India – Results from a cross-sectional pilot survey

Abstract

The magnitude and consequences of unrecorded alcohol consumption, defined as home brewed or clandestinely produced illicit liquor or surrogate alcoholic beverage has been little investigated in India. A significant portion of all alcohol consumed globally is unrecorded, therefore these consumers constitute a significant population. Sikkim, a province in Northeast India, lies in the foothills of the Himalayas. Unrecorded alcohol use is traditionally prevalent, with more than ten types available. This study investigated correlates of problematic unrecorded alcohol consumption in rural and urban communities of Sikkim. A cross-sectional, community-based pilot survey was conducted. Intensive case-finding recruited current heavy users (at least 3 days/week) of unrecorded alcohol of either sex above 16 years of age. On enrolment, participants responded to a socio-demographic instrument including 12 questions on their pattern of alcohol consumption and a 4-item CAGE questionnaire. Alcohol problems exist significantly among the young adult population. Although consumption of unrecorded alcohol is traditional in Sikkim, it has emerged as an important public health problem, with alarmingly high rates of problematic consumption. This is also expected to have significant economic costs. Therefore, prevention and treatment measures are an urgent need as well as policy decisions on production and sales of unrecorded alcohol.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge help and support of local administration and all the field workers of Singtam, East Sikkim and Ravangla, South Sikkim.

Declaration of interest: This study was supported by a research grant from the International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP), Washington DC, USA. ICAP is a non-profit research organization supported by leading producers of beverage alcohol. ICAP had no further role in study design, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. A.C. and T.K.R. designed and supervised the study and drafted the primary manuscript including data analysis and interpretation. B.S. and B.B.R. supervised the study, revised the manuscript and provided critical intellectual input. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.