SLOSHED IN PUB CITY

SLOSHED IN PUB CITY
There are many more plastered drivers on the road. And the emerging new trends say there’s cause for worry
The Times of India


BANGALORE has the dubious distinction of having the second highest cases of drunken driving, next only to Delhi, say recent reports. If that isn’t bad enough, emerging trends in drinking are worrisome say experts in Bangalore, who have been doing research in the field for years.

Why Bangalore? Dr G Gururaj, professor and head, department of epidemiology, NIMHANS, says there are many reasons. “It’s because of the emerging culture of Bangalore. Society holds more liberalised views about drinking now than earlier. Many think it’s a fun or leisure-time activity. There are more outlets selling alcohol. There’s an increase in spending power; people don’t mind spending a few 100s or even 1000s for a drink.”

People also think it’s a stress reliever. “They think that after a day’s hard work, they must have a round of drinks to unwind. But it is not a stress reliever at all. People believe it’s so because of the effects of drinking: they feel their inhibitions disappear, they feel euphoric. But these changes are actually physiological. But they mistake the euphoric effect for being stress-relieving,” clarifies Dr Gururaj.

Some trends observed by experts are that earlier, those between 20-35 years formed the highest numbers of those drinking and driving — in the prime of life, many of them breadwinners. “But what’s alarming is that the trend has now shifted to those only 15 plus. It’s not only in

pubs, but in dhabas on the outskirts of the city,” says Dr Gururaj. Also, there is greater consumption of liquor among urban women now. Agrees Ashok Rau, founder, Freedom Foundation, “We used to have men-centric units for rehabilitation for those with chemical dependency, but now we see the need for women-centric ones.”

Besides, drinking at home which was taboo with most families, is more acceptable now. “More and more people are drinking at home now, whether alone or with company. Even children and wives don’t object, accepting that it’s common everywhere,” says Dr Gururaj, “Any kind of alcohol is bad if it leads to alcoholism, because it’s not just one organ that is affected but many, like the heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, brain and digestive system. Not only the drinker is affected but the whole family. It must be seen in a broader perspective.”

So, he says, “Never drink and drive. Besides causing harm to yourself, you could kill someone on the road. When you have had a drink, get someone who’s not had any, a designated driver, to take you home safely.”
Ashok Rau adds that the world figures for chemical dependency are 10 per cent, and that dependency is genetic. “If a father’s an alcoholic, it is quite likely that the son or daughter may suffer from a chemical dependency.”And while it doesn’t mean that any person who has a drink is a drunkard, it’s better to be safe than sorry.