Rising alcoholism puts Goa on a high!
PANJIM, JUNE 7 - Sunita Naik is in her mid-thirties but life ahead is too
grim for her. She has the responsibility of raising two children. Her
husband drowned in alcoholism, died last year - his body was found in rotten
state in the bushes on the outskirts of the village.
Ramkrishna Bicholkar is very talented, working as an officer in a central
government organisation. His company demoted him when his absence from work
became more frequent thanks to his drinking habit. He disappears without
informing any body. His wife has been so fed-up with his disappearing act
that she has literally given up on him.
Babli Matkar who drank very heavily, had made life miserable for his wife
and five children. Whenever he came home drunk, his children rushed to
neighbour's house, to escape from his abuse and beating. He burnt his own
house on two occasions while under the influence of alcohol. He died
recently of liver cirrhosis.
These are not isolated cases of alcohol abuse in Goa but they are everyday
happenings in many of the Goan homes.
Alcoholism is a big social problem and needs to be tackled before more homes
are destroyed, warns a long-time member of the Alcohol Anonymous (AA) in
Goa. He suggested that the State Government should stop issuing licences for
new alcohol shops as easy accessibility is one of the reasons why Goan lads
catch up with drinking habit, early.
This small State with a population of about 15 lakh has 10,000 plus alcohol
shops. According to traffic police, there is spurt in the cases of drunk
driving.
"Many accidents have been caused because of riding/driving in inebriated
state, however, we would not allow this," says Arvind Gawas, Superintendent
of Police, Traffic.
The department has recently procured more alco-meters to detect and prevent
alcohol related accidents.
Of the total 4630 deaths reported in Goa Medical College (GMC), Bambolim,
during last two years, 423 deaths (9.14 per cent) were related to alcohol
related diseases, said Dr R G W Pinto, Prof & head of the Pathology
department.
Dr Pinto warns that alcoholism is certainly on rise in Goa. The cases of
alcoholism received at the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behavior (IPHB)
have also risen in the last five years (see box).
"Prior to 2000, cases reported to us were below 200, but during last five
years, there's been steady increase in the number of patients. Last year, we
admitted 341 chronic cases," told Dr B S Cuncolienkar, Medical
Superintendent of IPHB.
These patients are in the age of 18 to 35 who started drinking at a very
young age. More than 50 per cent of them go back to the bottle despite the
treatment and succumb to alcohol related diseases by the time they turn 45.
"We give them treatment but can't change their social environment which is
why they take to drinking again," says Dr Cuncolienkar. In these
circumstances, support groups can play a great role. The AA is active in Goa
and is doing great service in helping people to get rid of the habit.
(Names of the people in the article have been changed to protect their
identity)
http://www.oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=5210&cid=2
