Alcohol situation, it’s impacts and control measures in Sri Lanka

Pubudu SumanasekaraExecutive Director

Alcohol and Drug Information centre (ADIC)Sri Lanka

15.07.2009-Stop Drinking

ADIC OUTREACH

23 OUT OF 25 DISTRICTS ARE 23 OUT OF 25 DISTRICTS ARE COVERED USING VARIOUS COVERED USING VARIOUS

MICHANISAMS.MICHANISAMS.

-WORKING DIRECTLYWORKING DIRECTLY

- WORKING THROUGH OTHER WORKING THROUGH OTHER NGOONGOO

- VARIOUS PROJECTSVARIOUS PROJECTS

• COMMONWEALTH AWARDCOMMONWEALTH AWARD

International Awards Received

• WHO AWARDWHO AWARD

• IFNGO AWARDIFNGO AWARD

DURING THE YEAR 2001 ADIC(SRI LANKA) WAS INVITED TO DURING THE YEAR 2001 ADIC(SRI LANKA) WAS INVITED TO THE ALCOHOL POLICY STRATERGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE ALCOHOL POLICY STRATERGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF

THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION TO REPREESENT THE THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION TO REPREESENT THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN REGION.SOUTH EAST ASIAN REGION.

ADIC Programmes

• Social mobilization(School, Community and Media)

• Strategic intervention

• Policy Advocacy and Litigation

•Human Development and Innovative Intervention

• Research and Information

• Plantation

• Prevention of transmission of HIV/AIDS among drug

users

• Finance and Accounts

Problem

Alcohol

• Rural communities spend 1/3rd of their family expenditure on alcohol (Mirisankotuwa Research).

• Estate sector spend half of their family expenditure spend on alcohol (ADIC Plantation Research).

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

NO

OF

CA

SE

S

1989 1999

YEAR

NO. OF CASES

Source – Statistics of Ministry of health , Government of Sri Lanka

Health Indicators in Sri Lanka

Number of cases of hospitalization on Alcoholic Psychosis , Alcohol Dependence and Alcohol withdrawal (Excludes data from private sector medical institutions)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

1989 1999

YEAR

NO OF CASES

DEATHSNU

MBE

RS

Source – Statistics of Ministry of health , Government of Sri Lanka

Health Indicators in Sri Lanka

Hospitalization due to Chronic Liver Disease (Excludes data from private sector medical institutions)

Other problems Violence Discipline Relationship Absenteeism Productivity Nutrition levels

Source – Spot Survey 2008 December

Alcohol Prevalence

Alcohol Production

Source – Excise reports

Attitudes on Alcohol

Source – Spot Survey 2008 December

Reasons for alcohol use

Reasons for not using alcohol

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

DA

LY

s (

000's

)

WPR_A

Tobacco

High blood pressure

Alcohol

Overweight

High cholesterol

Major Health Risk FactorsMajor Health Risk Factors

Source: World Health Organization 2004

Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore

02000400060008000

10000120001400016000

DA

LY

s (

000's

)

WPR_B

Alcohol

High blood pressure

Tobacco

Overweight

High cholesterol

Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Mongolia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam

0

500

1000

1500

2000

25003000

3500

4000

DA

LY

s (

000's

)

SEA_B

Tobacco

High blood pressure

Alcohol

Overweight

High cholesterol

Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

DA

LY

s (

000's

)

SEA_D

High blood pressure

Tobacco

High cholesterol

Alcohol

Overweight

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal

Approach

• Moralistic ?• Religious ?• Scientific ?

– Do users really enjoy alcohol?– Why youth start consuming alcohol while knowing

the harm and unpleasantness

•The highest number of smoking incidents in the past 12 years has been recorded in movies featuring the Indian super star Sharuk Khan.

•The second highest is noted in films featuring the South Indian superstar Ragini Kanth.

Opinion makers and professionals

The approach The approach

Media

Policy

Field level (communities)

women

Industry

children

youth

Non - usersusers

Approach cont.

• Reduce the attractiveness of the image alcohol • Reducing unfair privileges attached to alcohol use• Improving recognition of the real harm form alcohol

use• Counteracting the forces that promote increased

consumption• Encouraging quitting or reduction of use• Formulation and implementation of effective

policies local and beyond etc.

Strategies to address alcohol problems

• Do not alienate users• Mobilize every single structure in the community• Develop expertise within the community and transfer

ownership of the programme to the community through empowering people

• Include everyone in the community (sellers, users, non users, children, youth, women, political leaders) while using target group specific systems

• Integrate prevention activities in to the community agenda and daily life of the people

• Make prevention activities fun simple and attractive

THANK YOU