Study: 12 Percent of Indian Men's Deaths Linked to Alcohol

NEW DELHI - Alcohol is responsible for an estimated 12 percent of deaths among Indian men aged 15 to 69, a sweeping new study concludes — a toll far higher than previously measured and one researchers link to the country's booming economy.

The study, published in a British medical journal, surveyed drinking across a population of more than a million and extrapolated national figures. It found alcohol's share of mortality had roughly doubled since the 1990s.

Researchers pointed to rising incomes, aggressive marketing and a shift toward hard liquor. Cheap spirits sold in unregulated shops account for much of the consumption, along with illicit brews that periodically kill dozens in poisoning incidents.

Unlike in the West, where moderate drinking is associated with some cardiovascular benefit, the study found no protective effect in India — a finding the authors attributed to binge drinking patterns and contaminated products.

Public health experts called for higher taxes and stricter sales regulation, noting that alcohol policy in India is a patchwork of state rules, from total prohibition in Gujarat to heavy promotion elsewhere.

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Associated Press writers contributed to this report.

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