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AIMS: To assess the prevalence and pattern of alcohol use in a middle-aged and elderly population in Mumbai, India. METHODS: 50 220 men aged >/=45 years from the lower and lower-middle section of the general population were interviewed. RESULTS: 18.8% were currently consuming alcoholic beverages, of whom 32.8% drank on at least 6 days per week. The most popular beverage was locally distilled products of fruits and grain (country liquor). Seventy-five per cent of the consumers of country liquor would consume over 53 g of ethanol on a day when they drank, with 46.6% of these doing so on at least 6 days per week. CONCLUSIONS: Abstinence, and also heavy and frequent use of alcohol, are common in this population and the latter is likely to have significant public health implications.
Prakash Chandra Gupta (Wed,) studied this question.