Critical Drinking Habit and Its Implications for Alcoholics in the Family Premises: A Case Study of Punjab (India)

Drinking has become a major area of concern in contemporary modern world. It has both positive and negative consequences depending upon the pattern of use of this substance. The present article talks about the negative consequences of critical drinking. In particular, it discusses how critical drinking manifests into different types of problems for the alcoholics, and causes the problem of alcoholism in society. The main objective of this study is to understand how alcoholism ruins the life of alcoholics and the kind of problems they face due to their critical addiction in the family premises. The research question for the present study is to determine whether alcoholics are the problem creator in society, or they are also victims of their habits? This study is based on primary data collected from 100 alcoholics from different parts of Punjab while keeping in mind the definition of alcoholic. And, in order to generate the primary data of the present study, the methods like snowballing technique, semi-structured interview schedule, participant observation etc. have been used. The study has found that the alcoholics face multiple social problems, which vary from minor to major, due to their critical drinking habit. In most of the cases, normal drinking habit turns into critical drinking pattern, which increases the possibility of troubles for alcoholics as well as for others. The study concludes that alcoholics are not merely the troublemakers in society but they are also the victims of their own misfortune. Moreover, these problems further worsen the alcoholics’ drinking habits. Resultantly, this all turns into the vicious circle of excessive drinking and associated problems.