Alcohol’s Lakshman Rekha

Alcohol, once tabooed in Indian society, has gained wide social acceptance today. Parties are no longer always as ‘dry’ as to keep the conversation hovering for hours around the weather, the boss, children’s school or politics. A couple of drinks make guests mingle better, voice their honest opinions about Katrina’s lips or Shakira’s hips, crack jokes and even sing a soulful gazal! Ladies have also started prefering spirits to Sprite as they join their men in the ‘wet’ soiree with equal gusto.

Exposure to alcohol is not really recent; humans and their forefathers (apes) have tasted alcohol through the ages while munching or sucking over-ripe fruits, most of which have fermented cores. The difference is in the concentration; it is a meagre 1-3% in naturally fermented foods as the yeasts die when the alcohol levels rise. And these low levels can’t make one tipsy!  It is through the process of “distillation”, discovered by man a few centuries ago,  that alcohol can be concentrated and beverages such as beer (4-7%), wines (7-15%), and spirits (brandy, whisky, gin, rum, vodka, 35-45%) produced, depending on the source of the substrate.

The line dividing harmless social drinking and “alcoholism” is often so fuzzy that a fun loving party-goer does not often realize when he is trespassing the Lakshman-rekha. A familiar story is how he could stay off drinks during the Navratri days or the holy month till a few years ago, but can’t any more.The CAGE Questionnaire, with 4 simple questions, could help let you know if your drinking is getting dangerous.

1. Have you ever felt you need to Cut down on your drinking?
2. Have criticisms by family, friends, colleagues or neighbours over your drinking ever Annoyed you?
3.  Have you ever felt a sense of Guilt about your drinking?
4.  Have you ever needed alcohol in the morning as an Eye opener? 

A “yes” to any of them indicates that you are in the trouble zone, and need urgent help from family, well wishers and experts. Other indicators of alcohol dependence are drinking alone, starting to drink in the morning or afternoon, inability to get sleep, trembling of hands or restlessness if a drink is missed or denied.

Kicking the habit is, by no means, easy and often requires both desire and will. A change of place, setting and circle of friends can help break away from the entrapping vicious cycle. It is often helpful to meet an ex-alcoholic and have him share how he conquered the problem. Many cities have groups called Alcoholic Anonymous, a group of ex-drinkers who provide this kind of support to those wanting to quit alcohol. A specialist can make the process smooth and ensure that the withdrawal symptoms are not too painful.

It is pity that an occasional pleasure often turns a trap ruining careers, families, health and life. It is time to wake up and take the call.

As published in HT City ( Hindustan Times) dated 5th January, 2014.