Date Source: Table based on National Family Health Survey Fact Sheets; Graphic prepared using AI-assisted design tools with editorial review by The Morung Express.
• NFHS-6 reveals rise in alcohol and tobacco use
• Over one in every two men and one in six women report tobacco usage
Moa Jamir
Dimapur | June 7
Despite being officially designated a "dry state" under the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, alcohol consumption in Nagaland continues to exceed the national average, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6).
The survey also indicates a rise in alcohol use among both men and women in the state compared to NFHS-5.
As per the NFHS-6 factsheet, 1.6% of women and 26.9% of men in Nagaland reported consuming alcohol.
The corresponding national figures stood at 1.1% for women and 18.9% for men, indicating a gap between the state's official prohibition policy and reported consumption patterns.
The survey further showed that alcohol consumption in Nagaland has increased since NFHS-5. Among women, the prevalence rose from 0.9% to 1.6%, while among men it increased from 23.9% to 26.9%.
However, the latest figures remain considerably lower than those recorded in earlier survey rounds.
In both NFHS-3 and NFHS-4, 38.8% of men reported consuming alcohol, while the proportion of women stood at 3.5% and 3.3%, respectively.
The NFHS-6 data also pointed to a similar trend in tobacco use. The proportion of women using any form of tobacco increased from 13.7% in NFHS-5 to 17.4%, while tobacco use among men rose from 48.4% to 51.2%.
Both figures remain significantly higher than the national averages of 8.4% for women and 36.3% for men.
The figures reported here are based on the NFHS-6 factsheet.
While detailed State report for NFHS-6, including district-wise usage is yet to be published, analysis of the earlier report (NFHS-5) show that tobacco products mostly used by men are gutkha or paan masala with tobacco (34%), cigarettes (21%), bidis and paan with tobacco (11%). Most men who drink alcohol drink it about once a week (39%) or less than once a week (46%), and 15 percent drink almost every day.
Meanwhile, some differences have been observed between certain indicators in the factsheet and the detailed state report for NFHS-5, clarification has been sought from the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), which coordinates the survey. This report will be updated should any clarification or additional information be received.
About NFHS-6
The NFHS-6 was conducted during 2023–24 by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, serving as the nodal agency.
The sixth round of India's flagship nationwide health survey covered nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts and collected information from 679,238 households, 716,397 women and 100,977 men. It was conducted in all States and Union Territories, except Manipur.
In Nagaland, fieldwork was conducted between August 26, 2023 and March 5, 2024, covering 11,104 households, 9,693 women and 1,635 men.
The provisional results of NFHS-6 ‘India and State/UT Fact Sheets’ were released on May 29. The detailed report is still awaited.
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