Should Goa say cheers to alcohol consumption ban?

Goa evokes many images. One of them is relaxing with friends or family in a shack by the sea with a glass of your favourite alcoholic beverage. Another one is washing away stress at a pub. Of course, the second one done responsibly and without disturbing Goa’s sacred tranquillity.  

These pictures, along with others, cannot easily be torn away from the coastal paradise. They make Goa what it is, and draw hordes to enjoy a sip of it. And so, early this week, when a local lawmaker called for a ban on alcohol consumption in the State, it got roundly and universally quashed.   

Even his colleagues left his side and crossed over to the other side of the debate. It sparked off levity in the midst of serious debates in the State assembly.

Intriguingly, the demand for a law against liquor consumption comes from BJP member of the legislative assembly (MLA) Premendra Shet, whose party is in power in the State and responsible for altering Goa’s excise laws to allow pubs and liquor outlets to be opened within 100 meters of educational and religious institutions, albeit on payment of higher licence fee.  

The relaxation on the locational restriction of pubs and liquor shops came just a month back. Therefore, a flip over from that to calling for a law to disallow alcohol consumption in the State only displays the schizophrenic mindset of the current government.

It also reveals the regime is in conflict with itself, pulling in opposite directions.  That apart, as Goa’s tourism exists today, it is heavily dependent on alcohol. Remove this block of alcohol from the edifice of tourism, and it’ll loosen and shake the blocks of revenue, employment, investment and businesses.

The State’s revenue from liquor sales climbed 7.3 per cent to Rs 900 crore in the fiscal 2023-24. Besides earning direct revenue from the sale of alcoholic drinks, the Goa Excise Department also earns from levies on import and export permits, bottling and blending licenses, bar, pub and liquor shop permit fees and other sources. Making Goa a dry State will drill a big hole into its revenues.

The other end of the argument is that there is an urgent need to address the rising chronic alcoholism in Goa. The enormity of this social menace can be seen in the data shared recently by the government, revealing that three to four cases of chronic alcoholism are being reported daily at the State-run de-addiction centres over the last five years.

The State has also witnessed rising rate of accidents due to irresponsible drinking and ineffective laws to contain it. These social problems do demand attention. But, banning alcohol drinking in the State would be a knee-jerk reaction.

Interestingly, the BJP politician wants the State’s liquor manufacturing and its exports to other states to continue.  Today, alcohol is prohibited in six Indian states and Union Territories (UTs) - Bihar (since 2016), Gujarat (since 1960), Mizoram (since 2019), Manipur (partially, since 1991), Nagaland (since 1981) and Lakshadweep Islands (partially, since 1979). In some parts of Kerala also drinking alcohol is banned.

The law pertaining to consumption of alcohol is a state subject despite the Article 47 of the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Indian Constitution, which prohibits the consumption of harmful alcohol. Each state has the freedom to decide on adoption of this principle at their level. And, therefore, alcohol regulations vary across the country.

Remarkably, if one were to go by the findings of the English weekly medical journal The Lancet’s study, Bihar – the only state other than Gujarat which has banned alcohol consumption – has seen some positive social outcomes of its liquor-ban.  

The England-based publication’s 2024 study on the positive impact of Bihar’s prohibition states it prevented 2.4 million daily or weekly alcohol consumption, reduced obesity among Bihari men and helped in controlling sexual, emotional and intimate partner violence (IPV) among women.

Last year, even the World Health Organization (WHO) had published a statement in The Lancet Public Health saying: “When it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health”.

So, while the social and health benefits of prohibition of alcohol cannot be underscored enough, any move in that direction should be done in a planned and systematic manner, without upsetting the State’s economic cart or driving alcohol operators underground to run a parallel economy.