The growing problem of Alcoholism in Pakistan: An overview of current situation and treatment options

Alcoholism is turning in to a growing problem in Pakistan despite its status of a “dry land” where 96% of the population do not drink and alcohol drinking is prohibited by law. Out of estimated ten million alcohol abusers, one million develop alcohol use disorders. Stress is the prevalent factor responsible for alcohol abuse. Moreover, the recent trend of alcohol abuse at a young age of 14 years is of growing concern. Literature research conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar resulted in almost no research articles or reviews directly addressing this problem. Hence, this review is the first on this subject. In this context, this review would try to comprehend current scenario of alcoholism in Pakistan. The role of globally recognized and FDA approved treatment medications is also discussed together with raising importance of psychosocial support therapy for alcohol addicted patients. In addition to that underlying neurobiology and different stages of alcoholism are elucidated.