A majority of boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 19 have tried alcohol, a recent survey by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) has revealed.
The survey of 1,500 teenagers found that 65 per cent of them had tried alcohol.
SpendingADVERTISEMENT
In a survey of those between 20 and 29 years old, 25 per cent admitted to spending between Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 10,000 only on alcohol during Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.
The survey findings, which were shared with the media on Tuesday, indicated that, “Alcohol consumption among teenagers triples during Christmas and New Year’s…especially in cities such as Delhi and the National Capital Region, Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore and Chandigarh.”
The survey was conducted in Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh and Dehradun. It was observed that consumption of liquor is more in vogue in Delhi-NCR, followed by Mumbai, Goa, Chandigarh and Bangalore.
ADVERTISEMENT
The survey also found that a third of Delhi’s residents consume alcohol thrice a week during the festive season.
180 p.c. over averageSecretary-general of ASSOCHAM D.S. Rawat said in the release that this season, alcohol consumption is likely to increase by over 180 per cent from the average; last year, the rise in consumption was 150 per cent.
It was also found that teenage boys are more likely to experiment with alcohol than girls of the same age.
The survey claims that reasons for this rising liquor consumption include easy money, availability of imported liquor brands, absent parents and more spending power.
However, the release doesn’t specify the economic background of those surveyed and whether most of the respondents were from affluent families.