People Living with

Alcohol Use
Suneel Vatsyayan
Nada India Foundation
www.nadaindia.info
Mob.9810594544
 Objective
• Prioritizing the needs of People Living with
alcohol use &NCDs (PLWNCDs) and engaging
them in the decision making process to
strengthen Non Communicable Disease (NCD)
prevention and control efforts.
• To design and implement an advocacy agenda
of People living with NCDs

www.nadaindia.info
 http://apps.who.int/ncds-
and-me/stories/story/302

Last year, I attended the cremation of Suresh

(Name Changed).He died prematurely because
of cardiac arrest at the age of 49 leaving
behind his wife and two sons and a big loan to
pay.. He had earlier lost his friend Pawan
(Name Changed) because of lung cancer at the
age of 39. Suresh and his friend had been drug
free and physically healthy for the last 24 years
and 13 years respectively.

www.nadaindia.info

NCD story
Tell your NCD story
http://apps.who.int/ncds-and-
me/stories/story/302
Suresh was treated 17 times prior to
his last treatment in different nursing
homes and NGO run programs, for his
alcohol dependence. Later both were
involved in running a Nada India
supported peer led drug & alcohol
rehabilitation center in the outskirts of
Delhi. Suresh & Pawan were treated at
Navjyoti Delhi Police Foundation Drug
Rehabilitation Center for their multiple
drug use starting with marijuana in
Delhi during the 1982 Asian Games.
www.nadaindia.info
 ‘the University of Pain?’
Human suffering
• Both the Suresh &Pawan had graduated from,
what we call- ‘the University of Pain’ and time
and again had faced social rejection, stigma,
and discrimination.
 The dis-connect….
• Globally, alcohol is causally related to 25 lacs
deaths per year and 12.5% of these are due to
cancer. Previous research has indicated that
public awareness of alcohol as a risk factor for
cancer is low and this may contribute to a lack
of public support for alcohol policies.
• http://iogt.org/reports/awareness-of-alcohol-and-cancer-connection-
increases-support-for-alcohol-policies/

www.nadaindia.info
 We people demand for more
• Taxing alcohol and Restricted marketing of
alcohol,
• Provision of consumer information and health
warnings on alcoholic beverages.
• Banning surrogate alcohol advertising,
promotions, and sponsorships.

www.nadaindia.info
 The Excerpts from Community conversation with
PLWNCD held in West Delhi by Nada …….

• Since I am a patient of alcohol addiction, my other

Non-Communicable Disease condition are treated as
secondary or given lesser value. An alcoholic with NCDs
faces the double brunt of disease Being an addict
leading to financial crisis, people discriminate even if
when we have genuine respiratory and heart problems.
It is because of our appearance, physical & mental
condition and identity of being an addict. Identity and
social exclusion
Human Rights and Social Justice

www.nadaindia.info
We, care partners,
Safety and welfare of the people living
with addiction is crucial,
• Family motivation for treatment is crisis
oriented may not match the choice of patient
and circumstances leading for his admission,.
the help seeking among drug users is very low
and family is also being pushed in to a corner
and admission to a rehabilitation seems to
them only solution for the family. Lack of
support facilities for family in crises result in
desperation.
www.nadaindia.info
 Harm caused by alcohol and other drugs is so pervasive
worldwide that it puts a heavy burden on societies.

• Children from families with parental substance

abuse;
• Young people struggling to overcome addiction;
• Women suffering from others’ alcohol use;
• People in the poorest communities in the world
who are often suffering from co-morbidities – the
list of especially vulnerable populations burdened
by harmful substances is long.

www.nadaindia.info
 How we connect : People perception
• Violence from both sides become day to day affair for
family and patient. Police is a little help as they see it a
family internal matter and hardly intervene
• It would be interesting to know whether we as
people(Patient ,caregivers) and policy makers connect
alcohol with different kinds of harms:
• violence
• Accidents and injuries
• Poverty
• Lack of education
• Family duties etc
• Trauma and other mental health issues…….

www.nadaindia.info
 We, care partners, call for:
Protection and prevention
• Protecting and Preventing alcohol means
ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to
live life in a healthy environment.
• Providing care partners with information and
assistance, protection ,counselling and support
groups, and training on skills needed for caring
for those living with alcohol use and NCDs.
•

www.nadaindia.info
What should be the legal age for drinking?

• 16 years
• 18 years
• 21 years
• 25 years

www.nadaindia.info
 SELF-MEDICATION IS OFTEN THE RESULT OF AN
UNDERLYING ISSUE, BE IT A MEDICAL PROBLEM, A
MENTAL HEALTH CONCERN, STRESS, OR OTHER
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTRIBUTOR.
• .
 Dependence

• BOTH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION ARE ALSO

OFTEN SIDE EFFECTS OF DRUG WITHDRAWAL
AS WELL, WHEN A PERSON ABUSES A
SUBSTANCE REGULARLY AND BECOMES
DEPENDENT ON IT.
 CAGE: 'just to feel better'.

C Cut down Have you ever felt you should cut down on MOBILE
USE?
A Annoyed Have people annoyed you by criticizing your MOBILE
USE?
G Guilty Have you ever felt guilty about your MOBILE USE?
E Eye-openerHave you ever had an 'eye-opener' – MOBILE USE
first thing in the morning to help you feel better?
 ICD-10 Diagnostic guidelines

A definite diagnosis of dependence should usually be

made only if three or more of the following have been
present together at some time during the previous
year:
• A strong desire or sense of compulsion to take the
substance;
• A physiological withdrawal state
• Evidence of tolerance,
• Progressive neglect of alternative pleasures or
interests
• Persisting with substance use despite clear evidence of
overtly harmful consequences,
www.nadaindia.info
www.nadaindia.info
 Patient and Caregiver’s (People
affected) safety
• Patient and Caregiver’s (People affected)
safety is a critical global public health issue
and has a widely accepted role in enabling
health systems to achieve effective universal
health coverage (UHC).

www.nadaindia.info
 Nada recommendations submitted with "Delhi State Mental
Health Authority on minimum standards for substance use
treatment and rehabilitation centres".
1.Patients should be given adequate information about the
services, rules, charges, patient's rights grievance redressal
systems etc. at the time of admission and relevant
information in this regard should be prominently displayed
at the location of registration / intake- patient's rights
2. Family motivation for treatment is crisis oriented and may
not match with the choice of patient and circumstances
leading for his admission. There should be a provision of
protection /crisis management services for the
patient/caregiver/family on 24*7 basis. (Human rights)

www.nadaindia.info
 Nada recommendations submitted with "Delhi State
Mental Health Authority on minimum standards for
substance use treatment and rehabilitation centres".
4. Essential treatment services (acute care and detox)
for drug use and drug- induced disorders should be
available during a sufficiently wide range of opening
hours (to go beyond 9-5 timing and holidays) to
ensure access to services for individuals with
employment or family responsibilities. (Accessibility)
5. Alcohol, tobacco, drugs and mental health are among
the major risk factors for non-communicable
diseases. Thus, screening, diagnosis, treatment, data
collection (DAMS) and education should be a part of
minimum standard of care. (Monitoring)

www.nadaindia.info
 We, people living with alcohol use &NCDs,
call for:
• Access to trained quality healthcare providers at
all levels specifically on NCDs.

• Quality and up to date training on alcoholism and

NCDs for health care providers.
• Ensuring universal and equitable access to
treatment for alcohol dependence and NCDs.
• Comprehensive care (combined medical,
psychological, and social support) for those with
alcohol use & NCDs.

www.nadaindia.info
 Reference
• https://www.alcoholwebindia.in/content/concepts-definitions
• http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/terminology/definition1/en/
• http://nadanewsupdate.blogspot.com/2018/04/draft-delhi-
substance-use-disorder.html
• http://iogt.org/reports/awareness-of-alcohol-and-cancer-
connection-increases-support-for-alcohol-policies/
• https://www.inuth.com/india/why-delhis-drug-de-addiction-
centres-are-worse-than-any-notorious-prison/
• https://indianexpress.com/article/india/report-uncovers-torture-
abuse-and-deaths-in-delhi-de-addiction-centres-5232022/
• http://apps.who.int/ncds-and-me/stories/story/302

www.nadaindia.info
 Thanks….
Reach us

Youth for Well-being,

• Mobile : 09810594544
E-mail : nadaindia@gmail.com
• www.nadaindia.info

www.nadaindia.info