YesUjarat has had a prohibition law since its creation in 1960, but this has not prevented residents from consuming alcohol. In fact, the high level of consumption is perhaps the state’s worst kept secret. Bootleggers cover every territory, operating through WhatsApp messages or phone calls. Like food delivery networks, they deliver the liquor of your choice to your doorstep in quick time, and the payment is done in cash or digitally.
During the budget session of the state assembly last year, it was revealed that liquor worth over Rs 300 crore has been seized in Gujarat in the last two years. It is the proverbial drop in the ocean – whatever the condition but it is dry. According to data collected during National Drug Use Survey in 2019 by AIIMS, 4.3 percent people had alcohol dependence. However, these are only official figures and this figure can be safely dismissed.
It is a well-oiled network – spirits are smuggled in from nearby states and the process is lubricated by bribing the police and other officials. No wonder the punitive system doesn’t work – every year, thousands Prohibitory Violation Cases are registered but the conviction rate is low, which indicates a lack of motivation to enforce the law. The conviction rate between 1999 and 2009 was only 9 percent.
Prohibition also means loss of tax revenue, which many Estimate Invest more than $2 billion or Rs 16,000 crore.
Read also: Continuing prohibition in Bihar is an exercise in madness with no way
Expansion of black market and spurious liquor tragedies
The fact is that sanctions do not reduce demand; They only make it harder to obtain the product. Bootleggers and corrupt officials step into this gap. a world health organization report good said that 50 per cent of the alcohol consumed in India is not registered and is part of non-tax, counterfeit activity. It argued that prohibition creates restrictions that, in effect, increase risks to consumers and widen the black market.
The latest proof of this has come from Bihar. people over 70 Died In December 2022 after drinking illicit country liquor. Hundreds were hospitalized. The epicenter was Chhapra in Saran district, but deaths were also reported from neighboring towns, Siwan and Begusarai.
Gujarat itself has seen many such tragedies. Illegal liquor in last July were killed 125 people have died in Baroda, 150 in Ahmedabad and 42 in Botad.
misguided justification for prohibition
The most common justification for banning alcohol lies in a misguided attempt to curb the social evil of domestic abuse. This is an over simplification of the problem and is not born out of research. National Family Health Survey conducted all over India in 2005-2006 Reported That 51 percent men in Bihar justified beating their wives. This is about the time when there was no liquor ban in Bihar. In Gujarat, where prohibition was in force, the share of such men was 74 per cent. It left Bihar behind and showed that more research is needed on domestic abuse by men who blow their money on alcohol and then come home to assault their wives.
We also have evidence of the drawbacks of prohibition in other countries. Notorious Italian mafia in Chicago and New York murdered during this America’ Prohibition Era In the 1920s. The money it earned funded its evolution into a hydra-headed monster that diversified into a range of illegal trades, from weapons to cocaine.
When prohibition was in force in Mumbai in the 1960s, local liquor was served to drinkers at home, known as ‘aunty bars’.
Moral of the story: Those who want to drink will always find a way.
Read also: ‘Where’s the ban? Men still get liquor illegally and die.’ Anger over Bihar spurious liquor case
tax benefits of alcohol
Gujarat has always had a laser-like focus on its economy, so it’s worth examining the prohibition from an economic perspective. It also indirectly affects foreign investment. Prohibition is a big cultural change for foreign investors and without it, Gujarat will be even more attractive to them. Gujarat can also become a global business hub like Mumbai.
The sensible thing would be to regulate the sale of alcohol instead and tax the industry. there is a tax on alcohol high Across the country, the price points would therefore systematically reduce consumption and result in great revenue for the government. This money can be used for developmental purposes such as schools and hospitals, and can even be invested in enforcement to crack down on illegal brewing. The money would also prove valuable for opening alcohol and drug de-addiction centers and sensitizing the community about the effects of alcohol addiction.
Laws are most effective when they are reformative rather than retributive. After all, it’s hard to change mindsets overnight and prohibition curbs personal freedom too much. Gujarat is the state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he should understand the benefits of decriminalizing liquor. This will be a step towards progressiveness.
Considered logically, there is no real argument for continuing prohibition, other than it seems to have some political advantage. It’s an archaic idea and it doesn’t work. Gujarat should show the way by abolishing laws that have no place in the 21st century.
Asha Jadeja is a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur, venture capitalist, philanthropist and a ‘change agent’. She tweets @ashajadeja325. Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)