A realization- simple yet significant; dawned on a young man pursuing his PG studies- that the disease that cause immeasurable pain to the patients families was in face something that was gaining acceptance in our growing society without differences in caste, creed, gender or education- it turned the husband abusive towards his wife, closed its cold hands on their kids and led them to the road to depressive disorders, buried the entire family in debt and drove them to suicide. It was and is, the much ignored issue of Alcohol Addiction. This man decided not to live with fact. He decided to try and bring about change.
Meet Dr Dharav Shah. Dr Dharav Shah did his MD in Psychiatry in NIMHANS and is currently working at BSES hospital, Mumbai. He works on spreading awareness about the socially acceptable addictive poisons- tobacco and alcohol. His audience ranges from street children to nursing and medical students. He has directly touched the lives of 3575 people with more than 110 presentations for the cause.
When asked for an e-mail interview, he sportingly agreed. Here are the excerpts from the same.
1) What made you take up the cause of spreading awareness on addictions?
"Today there is irrefutable scientific evidence about the hazardous consequences of alcohol and tobacco; yet there are no signs of its use decreasing in the near future". These lines got me deeply disturbed. Besides being a psychiatrist , I personally witness the pain that people trapped in addictions and their family experience. I believe that the problem persists because we are not doing enough for prevention. So I decided tpo give one year to get the fact proven in medical journals to the common man. Even educated men associate alcohol with just liver cirrhosis- while it accounts to just 15% of alcohol related deaths!
2)You give lectures on the alcohol "epidemic". Why do you call it that?
Earlier, people who used addictive substances were looked down upon. However, with aggressive marketing with film stars and cricketers, the alcohol industry had succeeded in making it socially acceptable. It is said "Gone are the days when girls used to cook like their mothers. Now girls drink like their fathers!" In Kerala, the percentage of drinking population under 21 has increased from 2 to 14%; and age of initiation has decreased from 19 to 13.5 years in the past 2 decades. And this is the situation across all states. Alcohol is responsible for 6.3% of all global male deaths and for 6-7% of global male DALYs lost. Still worse, this damage happens in the active age group of 15-45 years. Unless we as a society act soon, the epidemic will keep on spreading and may affect my and your home too.
3)Is it true that a small amount of alcohol if drunk on a daily basis is good for the heart?
This is a very widespread misconception. In fact some addicts I have met have taken their first alcohol drink because some great doctor had advised them to start drinking!
The evidence for this claim is weak. At least 2 meta-analyses have refuted this claim.
But the evidence for damage to heart done by alcohol is unequivocal.
This is definitely not true for Indians. A recent country-wide study done in 10 reputed hospitals of India, including AIIMS, has shown that in Indian men at least, the risk for heart attack increases with even light alcohol intake. The study also found that the impact of locally manufactured and branded alcohol on coronary heart disease was similar.
American Heart Association warns people- NOT to start drinking for claimed benefits to heart.
4)What according to you is the best solution for this epidemic?
Prevention is better than cure for any problem; but more so for addictive substances. It works by removing its social acceptability, which is the most effective way. Let me explain- it is a common belief that the alcohol problem is more in India than in the developed countries of the West because of the illiteracy and poverty over here. However, the fact is exactly the opposite. Addictiveness is a property of alcohol and it shows up irrespective of the socio-cultural background. Even in the West, around 15% of those who touch alcohol end up becoming dependent on it and many others drink in binge pattern. Because the proportion of people who touch it is very large, the resulting problem is also very large. How do we maintain our cultural defence and keep alcohol use socially unacceptable?
Spreading Awareness...
Pro alcohol false messaged are frequently flashed on TV; but information about hazards is not talked about as frequently or effectively. Consequently, many youngsters tend to think that only weak minded people get harmed. Doctors must use their authority to educate the society. It is said, " The evil in society is not so much because of the violence of the bad; rather it is because of the silence of the good." A group of students in Nagpur Medical College are going in surrounding municipal schools since 3 years now and have reached out to over 6000 children. If you want to do something similar, you can write to dradityakhetan@gmail.com to know more.
Taking a stand on this issue and advising people to quit/remain abstinent....
Advising is not the same as forcing. Youngsters avoid drinking in front of parents because their parents will object. If friends react in a similar manner, they will listen. The most common reason why people quit is an emotional request from a loved one. If you express your concern and love rather than criticizing, people respond positively. Also if he is unable to quit by himself, you can refer him to de-addiction services or Alcoholic Anonymous. (ask for your local branch on 022-26844400). A timely referral can change their lives.
We can lead by example by not touching these addictive poisons...
5)Why do you say that joining a spiritual group helps in de-addiction?
Joining a spiritual/social/sports or any other group makes sure that you keep receiving highs through healthy ways consistently; and so you no longer feel the need for the high given by alcohol. Also, your lifestyle and social circle changes. Spirituality gives a new direction/purpose to life and often brings in a deeper level of peace and happiness.
Those who would like to know more on the issue or need any support for spreading awareness can write to me on dharavshah@gmail.com. One of the talks on tobacco that i had given has been uploaded on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUI5y6c5Ks.
Meet Dr Dharav Shah. Dr Dharav Shah did his MD in Psychiatry in NIMHANS and is currently working at BSES hospital, Mumbai. He works on spreading awareness about the socially acceptable addictive poisons- tobacco and alcohol. His audience ranges from street children to nursing and medical students. He has directly touched the lives of 3575 people with more than 110 presentations for the cause.
When asked for an e-mail interview, he sportingly agreed. Here are the excerpts from the same.
1) What made you take up the cause of spreading awareness on addictions?
"Today there is irrefutable scientific evidence about the hazardous consequences of alcohol and tobacco; yet there are no signs of its use decreasing in the near future". These lines got me deeply disturbed. Besides being a psychiatrist , I personally witness the pain that people trapped in addictions and their family experience. I believe that the problem persists because we are not doing enough for prevention. So I decided tpo give one year to get the fact proven in medical journals to the common man. Even educated men associate alcohol with just liver cirrhosis- while it accounts to just 15% of alcohol related deaths!
2)You give lectures on the alcohol "epidemic". Why do you call it that?
Earlier, people who used addictive substances were looked down upon. However, with aggressive marketing with film stars and cricketers, the alcohol industry had succeeded in making it socially acceptable. It is said "Gone are the days when girls used to cook like their mothers. Now girls drink like their fathers!" In Kerala, the percentage of drinking population under 21 has increased from 2 to 14%; and age of initiation has decreased from 19 to 13.5 years in the past 2 decades. And this is the situation across all states. Alcohol is responsible for 6.3% of all global male deaths and for 6-7% of global male DALYs lost. Still worse, this damage happens in the active age group of 15-45 years. Unless we as a society act soon, the epidemic will keep on spreading and may affect my and your home too.
3)Is it true that a small amount of alcohol if drunk on a daily basis is good for the heart?
This is a very widespread misconception. In fact some addicts I have met have taken their first alcohol drink because some great doctor had advised them to start drinking!
The evidence for this claim is weak. At least 2 meta-analyses have refuted this claim.
But the evidence for damage to heart done by alcohol is unequivocal.
This is definitely not true for Indians. A recent country-wide study done in 10 reputed hospitals of India, including AIIMS, has shown that in Indian men at least, the risk for heart attack increases with even light alcohol intake. The study also found that the impact of locally manufactured and branded alcohol on coronary heart disease was similar.
American Heart Association warns people- NOT to start drinking for claimed benefits to heart.
4)What according to you is the best solution for this epidemic?
Prevention is better than cure for any problem; but more so for addictive substances. It works by removing its social acceptability, which is the most effective way. Let me explain- it is a common belief that the alcohol problem is more in India than in the developed countries of the West because of the illiteracy and poverty over here. However, the fact is exactly the opposite. Addictiveness is a property of alcohol and it shows up irrespective of the socio-cultural background. Even in the West, around 15% of those who touch alcohol end up becoming dependent on it and many others drink in binge pattern. Because the proportion of people who touch it is very large, the resulting problem is also very large. How do we maintain our cultural defence and keep alcohol use socially unacceptable?
Spreading Awareness...
Pro alcohol false messaged are frequently flashed on TV; but information about hazards is not talked about as frequently or effectively. Consequently, many youngsters tend to think that only weak minded people get harmed. Doctors must use their authority to educate the society. It is said, " The evil in society is not so much because of the violence of the bad; rather it is because of the silence of the good." A group of students in Nagpur Medical College are going in surrounding municipal schools since 3 years now and have reached out to over 6000 children. If you want to do something similar, you can write to dradityakhetan@gmail.com to know more.
Taking a stand on this issue and advising people to quit/remain abstinent....
Advising is not the same as forcing. Youngsters avoid drinking in front of parents because their parents will object. If friends react in a similar manner, they will listen. The most common reason why people quit is an emotional request from a loved one. If you express your concern and love rather than criticizing, people respond positively. Also if he is unable to quit by himself, you can refer him to de-addiction services or Alcoholic Anonymous. (ask for your local branch on 022-26844400). A timely referral can change their lives.
We can lead by example by not touching these addictive poisons...
5)Why do you say that joining a spiritual group helps in de-addiction?
Joining a spiritual/social/sports or any other group makes sure that you keep receiving highs through healthy ways consistently; and so you no longer feel the need for the high given by alcohol. Also, your lifestyle and social circle changes. Spirituality gives a new direction/purpose to life and often brings in a deeper level of peace and happiness.
Those who would like to know more on the issue or need any support for spreading awareness can write to me on dharavshah@gmail.com. One of the talks on tobacco that i had given has been uploaded on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUI5y6c5Ks.
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