“Alcohol ruins one physically, morally, intellectually and economically. Alcohol makes

a man forget himself; and while its effects last, he becomes utterly incapable of doing

anything useful. Those who take to drinking, ruin themselves and ruin their people. They

lose all sense of decency and propriety.” Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi uttered these

words more than two score years ago. The aversion of the Mahatma for any kind of

liquor is well known. Sounds ironic then, that when his personal belongings came under

the aunctioneer`s hammer, it was the liquor baron of India, Vijay Mallya who went home

with them, for an impressive $1.8 Million ( Rs.9.3 Crores ).

Perhaps Gandhiji`s words were never heard in Kerala. Oxymoronic, it seems, that the

state having the highest literacy percentage and male to female ratios also bears the

dubious distinction of being the highest consumer of alcohol in the country. We`re

talking about a state which, come prosperity or depression, manages to break its own

records year after year in the consumption rate of alcohol.

Statistics done in 2006 show that the average Keralite consumed 8.3 liters of

liquor every year, and that Kerala spent a whopping Rs.7500 crores on alcohol, as

compared to a comparatively miserly Rs.2800 crore on rice. In the last 20 years, the per

capita of alcohol consumers has increased from one in 300 to one in 20.

Dr T. S. Jaisoorya is currently working as a Consultant Psychiatrist in Co-operative

Medical College, Kochi opines “The government policy of considering alcohol only as

a means to fill its coffers is not helpful. The government led Beverages Corporation has

outlets in every nook & corner of the state, ensuring wide and continuous availability of

alcohol. There is also a very limited awareness among the people on the physical and

psychological consequences of alcohol use. All this has resulted in an alarming increase

in use of alcohol. “

When we think about it, why would the Government have any reason at all to ban or even

curb the sales or consumption of alcohol? Last year, during the Onam festival, the state

has shown an income of Rs.100 crore from liquor sales. Tax earned for the state – Rs.84

crore. Unlike in most other states, the sale of liquor in Kerala is permissible only from

either Gonvernment-owned Civil Supplies depots or licensed bars. Owing to the fact

that a bottle bought from a bar would often cost twice as much, the average consumer is

bound to purchase his hooch from the depot.

The Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC) is the sole distributor of Indian Made

Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in the state. In the last fiscal year, it had registered a 29 per

cent increase in the sale of liquor for the quarter ended December 31 compared to the

corresponding period last fiscal.

Managing Director Shanker Reddy said the economic downturn has had little impact

on the sale of IMFL. Total IMFL sales in the last fiscal stood at Rs 3,669.49 crore. The

figure likely to touch Rs 4,500 crore in the current fiscal, added Reddy.

KSBC's contribution to the state exchequer by way of taxes has jumped from Rs.1,163

crore to Rs.1,356 crore during the last financial year.

Small wonder then, that the government seems to be dragging its feet. After all, why

would anyone want to kill the goose that lays golden eggs. Especially since this particular

goose happens to be the biggest revenue earner for the state, accounting for more than

20% of its income, year after year without fail.

Perhaps Kerala is the only state that has fielded a new organization called the All Kerala

Drinkers' Welfare Association. The Association has more than 6000 members and is still

growing exponentially. “We are not planning to encourage drinking. The government

and abhkaris are looting the poor man who comes for an evening drink. We have no

facilities for these people. The government's revenue from the liquor industry is so huge

but what are they doing to help families affected by drinking?” said an alcohol consumer,

Vauvakavu Basheer. In a 15-point agenda submitted to the Government, the association

asks for facilities such as a single room for the average middle-class drinker.

Kerala has witnessed such a spurt in liquor sales ever since the local hooch, called

arrack, was banned. Ostensibly, the reason for the ban was that the local brews were

mostly home-made and therefore, susceptible to dangerous levels of poisonous methyl

alcohol. But in effect, what transpired were the liquor tragedies of Vypeen and Kollam,

which caused a toll of more than a 100 lives. In the investigations that followed, it was

determined that since methyl alcohol comes cheap, the trick employed is to first add

water to potable spirit to increase the volume and then add the methyl to ensure the

diluted drink gives a suitable high. When the percentage of methyl increases, it's lethal.

The source of the contaminated brews were traced to private liquor barons, who for

profits, and with the help of bribes to state officials, were responsible for these tragedies.

In order to study this problem, one needs to come out and look at it from an outside

perspective. What drives people to drink particularly in this state?

First of all, would be the ready availability and accessibility of alcohol in the state. It

is virtually impossible to find a town or village center without a Civil Supplies depot

or bar anywhere in the state. The staggering rate of local unemployment – 35% in the

professionally educated sector would also be counted as a factor.

Its not as if efforts have not been made to counter this issue. We have had NGOs scouring

the state educating people of the enormity of the problem. Several women`s groups have

staged protests against the indiscriminate sale of tainted liquor.

AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), an international group, has found base in Kerala. It is a

fellowship of men and women who share their experiences, strengths and hopes with

each other to solve common problems and help others recover from alcoholism.

AA has an approximate strength of around 2500 members in Kerala. Not a lot, but

enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel.