‘More and more British Sikh women now drinking alcohol’

A survey of over 1,000 British Sikhs found that 61% of respondents (64% of men and 56% of women) were currently using alcohol and 9% were currently in recovery. shown. Respondents said their biggest challenges in staying sober were social temptation (21%), depression and lack of purpose (14%), boredom (14%) and easy access to alcohol (12%). It is said that

A research report titled ‘The Impact of Alcohol Consumption Among Sikhs’ was recently released in parliament. The report is a collaboration between the Sikh Recovery Network (SRN), a community group that works with victims of substance abuse, and the British Sikh Report (BSR ) team collaboration. The aim of this report is to explore and understand the alcohol consumption landscape among Sikhs in the UK, to provide alcohol rehabilitation service providers with information to identify gaps and adjust their approach accordingly. was, said the researchers.

SRN founder Jaz Rai is a recovering alcoholic who uses his personal travel experiences to help those in his community struggling with addiction. The survey is essential to establish changing drinking patterns within the community and gather evidence for his providers of addiction services, he told The Indian Express. To better serve the needs of a diverse community speaking different languages ​​such as Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. he said: Alcoholism is still taboo in our communities, but it is spreading like a cancer and needs to be talked about and help provided to those who want to recover. ”

“We are providing our findings to various government departments as well as service providers so that their helplines can reach the Punjabi-speaking population in the Midlands and beyond.” Rai said.

Meanwhile, the survey revealed that 21% of respondents who drink alcohol have had suicidal thoughts, and 6% of respondents have tried to end their lives. Notwithstanding the above, the report also reveals the impact of “problem drinkers” on families, with 84% of problem drinkers having children.

Eighteen percent of those who currently consume alcohol say they drink alcohol four or more times a week (20% of women and 17% of men). Twenty-one percent of full-time workers and 16% of part-time workers say they drink alcohol four or more times a week, compared to 10% of those who are unemployed.

Also, 12% of women and 18% of men drink 10 or more units of alcohol per day. 32% drink only 1-2 units of alcohol per day and 27% drink 3-4 units of alcohol per day. Nine percent of 50-64 year olds consumed 10 or more units of alcohol per day, the highest of any age group.

Among problem drinkers, 7% of respondents said that once they started drinking, they couldn’t stop. 4% said their alcohol consumption prevented them from completing expected tasks on an almost daily basis, and 6% said they did so every week. 12% said they have been injured as a result of drinking. Thirty-three percent of respondents who are ‘problem drinkers’ said that alcohol sometimes prevents them from remembering the previous night (3% daily, 5% weekly, and 6% monthly). 23% said others suggested they should reduce their alcohol intake.

BSR and the report’s editor and statistician, Jagdev Singh Virdee MBE, told IE: Although the survey was conducted primarily online, a concerted effort was made to supplement the sample with questionnaires to reach people without internet access. We monitored responses and targeted specific regions that were missing to ensure that the overall sample was representative of British Sikhs in terms of age group, gender, marital status, and region.

“These statistics show that the reality of alcohol consumption among Sikhs today is very different from the assumptions that exist. reveals its impact on one’s own mental and physical health, and those working in this field should pay attention to statistics when devising strategies to tackle this issue.”

Rep. Liam Byrne, chair of the All-Party Congressional Group for Children with Alcoholics, who hosted the legislative launch event, said: ”

According to Dr Piers Henrique, director of communications for the National Association of Children with Alcoholics, “This groundbreaking report shows that Sikh communities are seeing record-related deaths in other parts of the UK. people with active addictions, their friends and family, compared to the more general UK population. And being less likely to reach out to mainstream services means this hidden harm will only get bigger and more serious.

“While the survey results are sobering, the fact that nearly 40% of Sikhs do not consume alcohol despite culture and prevalence gives hope for the future.” Nasheyan di Jawani”.

India, UK sign YPS letter on Monday

Indian High Commissioner to the UK H.E. Mr. Vikram K. Dreiswamy and Home Secretary Matthew Rycroft signed and exchanged the Young Professionals Scheme (YPS) Memorandum at the Indian High Commission in London on Monday 9th January intend to do something. According to the scheme, India and the UK will allow her 3,000 young professionals aged 18 to his 30 to work in each other’s countries for his two years, senior HCI officials told Indian Express. Told. According to official UK government guidelines, a person coming from India must have at least £2,530 in his bank account to demonstrate that he can live in the UK. The amount must be in his account for 28 days and within 31 days of him applying for this visa. The YPS is based on a voting system similar to the Youth Mobility Scheme visas implemented by the UK in other countries, where applicants send an email and fill out a ballot. These ballots are held annually in January and July, with most applicants usually selected in January and the remaining places assigned in her July ballot.

(The writer is a London-based freelance journalist who contributes content to digital, print, radio and television platforms.)