Flight pee case resonates in Nimhans’ study on harm of alcohol

BENGALURU: The recent incident in which a former senior executive of a multinational firm Shankar Mishra (34) urinated on a female co-passenger on Air India flight AI-102 from New York to New Delhi, in an alleged inebriated state on November 26 last year, finds resonance in an ongoing study by the National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) on ‘Harms from Alcohol Consumption by Strangers.’ Nimhans, in association with the World Health Organisation (WHO), is developing a model on the harm of alcohol use to others with an aim to integrate it into primary health care systems.

“We are training the health care staff at ‘Namma Clinics’ in Bengaluru as a pilot on identifying the potential alcohol use and harm in patients, who visit the clinics. We will also sensitise and train police personnel and emergency room staff in hospitals in Bengaluru on harm to others from alcohol use. This is an important area because the socio-economic impact of alcohol use is not only on the user but is more substantive on the society, especially among the family and friends of the user and strangers,” said Prof Girish N Rao, Epidemiology, Centre for Public Health, Nimhans.

“The Air India incident has brought to light the harm of alcohol use to others. More than looking at it from a moral angle it is primarily a medical health issue. The accused also needs medical care and attention,” he added.

“Alcohol use greatly harms not only the user but others as well, especially in the context of children, vulnerable communities and intimate partner relationships. The focus all through has been on the user. This needs to be addressed at the policy level,” said Prof Vivek Benegal, Psychiatry, Centre for De-addiction Medicine, Nimhans.

Incidentally, a research study on the subject co-authored by Nimhans in 2011-’12 had revealed that 63.2 per cent reported experiences of one or more instances of harm from strangers’ drinking, with 47.4 per cent reporting at least one tangible harm.

“Nearly one-fifth reported being physically harmed from strangers’ alcohol consumption,” observed the researchers, who had also underscored the need to formulate a rational alcohol control policy and implementation of appropriate interventions in India.