Will ban on liquor help Kerala?
Kerala is on its way to drastically reduce alcohol consumption..
Will ban on liquor help Kerala?
Introduction
Oommen Chandy’s government in Kerala has opened up a gateway and thus a big issue for debate by its decision to make Kerala an alcohol free state. Kerala counts the lead in the alcohol consumption and the per annum consumption of this state is approximately double to that of the national figure. The government is already on its way towards reducing the alcohol content by refusing the license to upgrade many bars in the state, and they are looking forward to cancel more licences. Only the 23 Five Star Hotels in Kerala will be granted the licence for bar. Will this ban on the liquor actually help Kerala in any way?
Yes
- Liquor has spoiled many families. The ban on the liquor could be a boon for those thousands of families being into the trap of the liquor related harassment.
- The liquor is hazardous to health and the ban would definitely help to regain the health status of the common man.
- Liquor is one of the main reasons of decrease in the work efficiency. This ban could help in getting the better work output which will turn out to be positive revenue for the state.
- The liquor being produced in the state can be exported and thus the state can earn much better in terms of revenue.
No
- Ban on alcohol is a direct attack on the revenue of the state, which is going to hit the economy of the country indirectly.
- Kerala is having a good tourism sector which will also get a bold hit due to the ban on the alcohol.
- On an average the state is going to take a hit of Rs. 8000 crore per annum.
- Kerala consumes about 16 per cent of the country’s liquor. People might really have a very hard time with the ban on the liquor.
- Liquor is the addiction-forming substance which would definitely have its withdrawal symptoms. The sudden ban on the alcohol will affect the health drastically especially to those who are addicted to the substance. This might also lead to an alarming situation for their life.
- Banning alcohol in the state can pave way for black marketing as those habituated to it would try to find the ways to source it.
- Banning alcohol in the state might mean people travelling to nearby states over the weekends where they would still consume alcohol and make the payments to another state.
Conclusion
No doubt reduction in liquor licences and only granting licences to five start hotels will bring down the consumption in the state, as the cost of buying alcohol in bar/hotel would be higher than local wine & beer shops. As sales go down the related revenue will also decline, but think every year the duty on tobacco & alcohol goes up indicating that government does not want to encourage consumption of these commodities (or understands that whatever price hike happens addicts will still consume these commodities), it is a big step for any state to have the courage to move towards a dry state forgoing the vast revenue it provides.
It will definitely help the state, and in long run bring – better health, lesser road accidents, lower crime (such that is induced in alcohol influence), better lifestyle by using the money not spend on liquor for better options.
Discussion
- RE: Will ban on liquor help Kerala? -Deepak kumar (09/04/14)
- IT DSNT MATTER THAT IN INDIA LOTS OF GIVEN TEX BY LIQUOR PRODUCT.AS WE KNOW THAT WE LIVE IN GOOD COUNTRY, I CAN SAY THAT WHICH PEOPLE USE THE LIQUOR THEY DONT RESPECT THE FAMILY MEMBER LIKE AS MOTHER AND SISTER SO WILL BE SAY THAT SE CANT FORGET THE OUR TRADITION AND CULTURE.SO SOULD BE BAN THIS USING PRODUCT.
- RE: Will ban on liquor help Kerala? -Teena Bhatia (09/02/14)
- If people and the official bodies think that ban on liquor will help Kerala, they are surrounding themselves with a false ideological hangover. Banning liquor will bring no results. There is no need of mirror to see the things when they are clearly visible. The dry state Gujarat speaks the story.
Prohibition of liquor in Gujarat has done nothing more than encouraging people to buy liquor underground. As per the estimates about Rs 4,000 crore of illicit alcohol is consumed in Gujarat. Despite the prohibition, consumption of alcohol is at higher end in Gujarat. So, who is suffering by banning liquor? Public is getting alcohol from illegal means but the government is losing a major chunk of revenue that can be used for the welfare of the state. Gujarat gets almost thirty thousand rupees coming from the illegal trade of alcohol but still cannot use a penny of it in betterment of state. It is encouraging bootleggers to make more and more use of the given opportunity. Also, ban of liquor gives birth to a number of crimes.
Now let us see some examples where the prohibition was tried and was ruled out some years later. Andhra Pradesh banned liquor between 1958 and 1969, started the sale again, and then again banned it from 1994 to 1997 only to allow the alcohol sale again in 1998. Haryana prohibited liquor for two years but have to start it again as huge number of people lost their jobs in specific industry.
The one more issue that needs attention is the quality of liquor sold illegally in the ban states. One should not forget the Hooch tragedy that happened in 2009 in which more than 120 people died due to the consumption of low quality spurious liquor. It is a simple thing to understand, if banning alcohol must have worked, Gujarat must have been really a dry state in all terms.
