At a recent WHO workshop on strengthening interventions for non-communicable diseases or NCDs in the country, alcohol consumption was highlighted as a major contributor to Bhutan’s NCD burden. The percentage of people consuming alcohol increased by around 10 per cent between 2012 and 2023. According to the WHO, restricting alcohol availability through laws and policies is crucial to reducing harmful use, especially among youth and high-risk groups.
According to the Annual Health Bulletin, alcohol liver disease remains the leading cause of death in the country.
Over the past five years, there has also been a rise in alcohol-related mental and behavioural disorders.
Dr Andrea Bruni, regional advisor to the WHO South-East Asia Region emphasised that alcohol is a major risk factor for NCDs and that there is no safe level of consumption.
“Alcohol is one of the main risk factors for NCDs and it is very important to address the impact of alcohol on health. We know that alcohol is toxic and there is no safe amount of alcohol. There are evidence-based measures to address the impact of alcohol on health and this includes working on availability of alcohol, for example, including restrictions on the sale of alcohol to minors, to people below 18 years.”
BBS talked to several people about the issue. Some said that consumption of small amount of alcohol as being healthy is a misconception while some said that drinking in moderation is acceptable as long as it does not cause any trouble.
“Some people say that drinking at least one or two pegs of alcohol is good for the body. I think that is false because even if you start with one peg, it can lead to heavy drinking or addiction. It is not that I don’t drink. I do drink but I think we should know our limit,” said Kado, a resident of Thimphu.
“To decrease the trend of underage drinking, one of the important factors is how parents raise their children. It is not just parents; it also depends on who children are around. That is why I think it would be better not to take children to gatherings where adults are drinking alcohol,” said Tshewang Penjor, also a resident.
The National Council’s 2019 interim report on the review of the harmful use of alcohol stated that alcohol is cheap and widely available in Bhutan compared to other countries. There were nearly 4,500 bars in the country as of 2017.
According to the WHO, alcohol consumption contributes to 2.6 million deaths each year globally. It is also the leading risk factor for premature death and disability among those aged 20 to 39 years.
Tenzin Loday Gyeltshen,
Edited by Sonam Pem
