Burden and socio-economic impact of alcohol: the Bangalore study

This publication is a report of the comprehensive study of 28 507 individuals from four population groups of (‎rural, town, slum and urban areas)‎ in Bangalore, India. The effect and impact of alcohol consumption was examined in a cross-sectional manner with the combined use of quantitative and qualitative research methods. The study shows the phenomenal burden and impact among individuals and families of alcohol-users in the areas studied. Despite limitations, it attempts to extrapolate the findings to the whole of India. The conclusions can be very informative for policy-makers. If all costs are comprehensively examined and calculated for all events, the economic impact would be much higher than the conservative estimates noted in the study. In the final analysis, Indian society might be losing more than it is reportedly gaining.