After WHO's warning on cancer link, a look at how India consumes alcohol

According to NFHS-5, alcohol consumption is higher in rural parts of the country than the urban areas

In a recent statement, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that there is no "safe limit" to alcohol consumption, and even a small amount may increase the risk of cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified alcohol, along with asbestos, radiation and tobacco, as a high-risk Group 1 carcinogen, contributing to cancer worldwide.

In 2020, alcohol was responsible for 740,000 cancer cases worldwide. On the other hand, the consumption of alcohol has gone up in India for both men and women in the last three decades.

According to a study published by the medical journal Lancet last