In a startling disclosure, it has been revealed that the percentage of liquor consumers in Odisha is higher than the national average.
As per the second phase report of the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS), an average of 18 per cent male persons (over 15 years of age) in India consume alcohol, while the 28.8 per cent males in the same category drink alcohol in Odisha.
Even, women in Odisha are not lagging behind their male counterparts. With 4.3 per cent women in the State consuming liquor, the rate is also higher than the national average. Around 4.3 per cent women consume alcohol in the State in comparison to 1.6 per cent of national average.
The survey report stated that 22.7 per cent people in urban area and 30.2 per cent people in Odisha consume alcohol.
A total of 6,36,699 families across the country including 6,476 from Odisha were included in the survey. As per the study, while 52.7 per cent people consume alcohol in Arunachal Pradesh, 35 per cent people consume liquor in Jharkhand respectively.
Similarly, Chhattisgarh (34.8), Tamil Nadu (25.4), Uttarakhand (925.5), Punjab (22.8), Madhya Pradesh (17.1), Uttar Pradesh (14.6) and Haryana (16.1) are behind Jharkhand in the list.
(Edited by Suryakant Jena)