Community perspectives on alcohol use among a tribal population in rural southern India

Alcohol use is common in many cultures. Excessive use of alcohol adversely impacts individuals, families and communities. Medicine, which uses biomedical models and perspectives, views alcohol dependence as a disease. Alcohol use and dependence are complex societal problems, which need to be viewed through multidisciplinary approaches and corrected by adopting intersectoral efforts involving local communities.

We used qualitative methods such as focus group discussions and in-depth interviews to document perspectives on alcohol use among a tribal community in southern India. We recorded traditional norms, changing patterns of use of alcohol and its consequences for individuals, families and the community.

Eight focus group discussions and eleven in-depth interviews were conducted. Though consumption of alcohol is part of the local culture, changes in occupation and availability of alcohol has made its consumption a problem. The introduction and easy availability of Indian-made foreign liquor, which is stronger than the locally brewed variety, in government-run outlets has changed the culture of drinking at festivals to drinking more often. This leads to public fights, domestic violence and increasing mortality and morbidity due to road traffic incidents and ill health. The age of initiation into drinking has decreased.

The introduction of non-traditional and commercial alcohol use has put a heavy price on tribal and rural people. Community-based interventions targeting young children and adolescents may pay more dividends than pursuing purely medical treatments for problem drinkers.