In the wake of rising drug and alcoholism among Keralites,
the state government recently launched a major campaign "Subodham" to
help people in the state overcome alcohol, drug and other substance abuse. The
project was launched by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Art of Living
Foundation founder Sri Sri Ravishankar in the presence of religious leaders,
representatives of student organisations and NGOs working against drug abuse.
"The state government aims to wipe out the menace of
substance addiction from our society through 'Subodham'. If total alcohol
prohibition could save the society, the state government is ready to forego the
revenue from the sale of liquor that is around Rs 7,000 crore per annum,"
said Chandy.
Sri Sri Ravishankar said: "Kerala can become a
model-state in anti-alcohol and drug awareness as well as rehabilitation
initiatives. This initiative is very much a need of the hour. It will be a
great achievement if we can implement the project successfully."
The "Subodham" project, envisaged by the excise
department, will be implemented by a high-level committee comprising experts
from various fields.
Excise Minister K. Babu, who is also the chairman of
"Subodham", said: "The campaign aims to free one lakh people
from drug and alcohol addiction each year. "'Subodham' heralds the first
step towards 'Punarjani 2030 Project', a state government initiative to
completely eradicate the menace of substance abuse in Kerala." The state
education department, meanwhile, agreed to include anti-drug and alcohol
awareness content in the state curriculum from the next academic year.
The problem is causing serious social problems in the state.
A recent survey said about 74 per cent of the children between the age group 5
and 18 in the state use tobacco. The study was conducted by National Drug
Dependence Treatment Centre and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
where a total of 119 children were covered examining their pattern, profile and
substance use. Alcohol, tobacco and inhalants are common initial substances of
abuse and have been described as 'gateway substances'. These substances are
easily available to the children, according to the revelations in the research.
Most of these products are not illegal and there is some
form of social acceptance for their use. However, the use of these
"gateway substances" increases the subsequent risk of transition to
harder and illicit substances.
The study is part of a nationwide exercise under the National
Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) which had closely examined
4,024 children across 27 states and two union territories of the country.
Kerala has been in the news recently again for the wrong
reasons. The state has the highest per capita liquor consumption in the country
(over 8 liters per person a year), surpassing traditionally hard-drinking
states such as Punjab and Haryana. It's
estimated that 5 per cent of the state's population (roughly one in 10 men) is
addicted to liquor.
Drug-related cases have been on the rise in the state. In
April alone 67 cases were registered in the state and the excise department
seized 84.65 kg of drugs. In Thiruvanthapuram alone, nine cases were registered
and 25 kg of ganja was seized. Drugs come to Kerala mainly from Andhra Pradesh
and Odisha.
Meanwhile, the police are facing a new problem. With the
Kerala government's decision to drastically reduce availability of liquor, as
part of a policy to implement total prohibition in 10 years, it has given rise
to a fast-growing parallel market for its substitutes ranging from illicit
brews and adulterated toddy to narcotics and even Ayurveda medicines containing
alcohol.
Many ayurvedic drug manufacturers increasing the
alcohol content in arishtam and other medicines. One can find several
youngsters taking ayurvedic drugs to get a high. Several lesser known ayurvedic
shops are selling arishtams with high alcohol content, prompting police, excise
and drug control departments to intensify raids and tighten control over the
industry.
Substance abuse is a serious problem among youngsters in
Kerala. A recent survey found about 74 per cent school
children use tobacco
products - gate way to drugs .
Dr D Ramanathan, secretary at Ayurveda Medicine
Manufacturers Association of India, said that out of about 380 ayurvedic drug
manufacturing units in the state only about 30 to 35 units, or less than 10%,
are manufacturing stronger arishtams for tipplers. At the same time, sales of
arishtams of established, genuine players in the industry have fallen by
20%-25% because retailers have started reducing their stocks of arishtams
fearing excise raids. "They (retailers) are taking only smaller quantities
and as a result the total sales have fallen," Dr Ramanathan said.
"In the 1960s, when there was prohibition in Kerala,
some ayurveda companies sold such arishtams and ended up making a
fortune," he said. It's not just makers of arishtam who are looking to
make a fortune from Kerala's current prohibition policy. In most parts of the
state there's a sudden revival in demand for country liquor, as the government
has closed 418 bars and 10% retail outlets, steeply increased prices of liquor,
and also declared Sunday as a dry day. Country made arrack distilled from
fruits and prepared without any artificial ingredients might be safe to drink.
But in many cases, liquor sold to the people is made with harmful ingredients
like chemicals.
"Some chemicals added in the right proportion can make
the drink more potent," said Jithesh R, an expert in the manufacture of
arrack. "In normal case we use jaggery, water, toddy, fruits, cinnamon,
thathiri flowers (fire flame bush), etc, which is kept for 15 days before being
taken out and boiled and distilled," he said.
Use of chemicals can help reduce the fermentation period to
five days, but it is not safe and can have serious health consequences, Jithesh
said. Rush at local toddy shops too has increased of late. The government has
said it will protect toddy - a drink taken from the coconut palm.
But the problem is, good toddy is hard to get. "What we
get is mostly adulterated toddy," said Roshy A, a toddy shop owner in
Alappuzha district. Excise raids have confirmed the use of harmful chemicals
such as sodium lauryl sulphate in toddy. Some recent reports said that a
cocktail of five chemicals like sodium bicarbonate, saccharine and titanium
dioxide and pharma products like tranquilisers are mixed with toddy to give it the
required "effect".
Those who are against prohibition claim that the state's
policy would encourage use of drugs among youths. The number of narcotic cases
registered by the excise department has increased substantially in recent
months. Contraband seized recently include ganja, ganja paste, ampoules of
drugs that can be injected and brown sugar.
An excise official said drug peddlers are chasing regular
consumers of liquor besides school and college going students - as confirmed by
recent arrests of some drug peddlers in the vicinity of bars. "It is
convenient for the user (of alcohol) as the price is cheap, there is no foul
smell and the intoxication, in most cases, lasts longer," the person said
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