PREVELANCE OF ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE SYNDROME AMONG ADULTS AND ITS ASSOCIATED SOCIO DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS - A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: Alcohol dependence, as defined by American national Cancer Institute, is A chronic disease in which a person craves drinks that contain alcohol and is unable to control his or her drinking. Alcohol dependence affects physical and mental health, and can cause problems with family, friends, and work.The Magnitude of Substance Use in India, 2019 (National Drug Use Survey 2019, NDUS) was the first-ever comprehensive attempt to document the extent and pattern of substance use at the level of states of India. The WHO ASSIST screening questionnaire was used to interview 200,111 households in 36 states and Union Territories (UTs). Alcohol emerged as the most prevalent psychoactive substance, with 14.6% of the population aged 10-75 using it, including 5.2% with problematic usage and 2.7% dependent. Men had notably higher usage rates at 27.3% compared to women at 1.6% and children aged 10-17 at 1.3%. Country liquor and spirits were the most consumed types.Most of the above findings have been demonstrated in various studies conducted in the West. However, such studies in India are very limited and whatever little has been published have got very limited scope.