S. Henlly Phom | EMN
Dimapur, July 26
Statistics from the state run Drug De-addiction centre in Dimapur reveal that, contrary to popular belief “alcohol abuse” is on the rise in the state. Reservations of consuming alcohol amongst the youth are also increasingly influenced by lifestyle choices making a complete farce of the Liquor Prohibition Act in the state.In this murky and confusing picture, bootleggers are enjoying a thriving business.
They operate without fear of the law and responsibility to the customers in the quality of the products they sell. They know that the “illegal” nature of the activity is a handicap for the customer to legally lodge complaints with the authorities. The result is the unchecked and rampant sale of what city doctors fear is the widespread availability of cheaper highly adulterated liquor that has become a serious and dangerous health hazard.
The business is proving to be so lucrative that defense personnel are also known to siphon quota for the armed forces into the market. A visit to the scrap dealers at Supply road, Dimapur is proof of the leakage. Hundreds of bottles clearly marked for “sale only to defense personnel” are amongst the pile of bottles which have been retrieved from civilian areas in the city.
Coupled with the “trait” of indulgent drinking, alcohol abuse has become a serious social issue. Doctors have long expressed the worry over increasing incidents of alcohol abuse with the use of these adulterated spirits. ”Alcoholic neuropathy is a common damage found in Nagaland because of excessive drinking” says Dr. Chikhrozo Kezo.,Psychiatrist District Hospital Dimapur. He adds that adulteration is all the worse because of the excessive content of Methyl (an agent used in the process of fermentation) which can cause ‘blindness’ in a person.
He narrates an incident of a patient in his 30’s that died in just two weeks of excessive drinking, which rapidly led to complications in his health. Dr.Kezo lamented the fact that the public are unaware of the heavy adulteration in the spurious liquor sold in the state by bootleggers.
Treatment for alcohol abuse is also amongst the most expensive health treatment as it requires a prolonged treatment, for life. The affected families are forced to bear expensive treatment costs more often than not outside the state.
The medical fraternities have been concerned for some time now but the probation act has reduced them to be silent spectators. Several of them have expressed the urgent need to re examine the law in the light of developments in a fast changing world. They state more than half of all the drinkers fall under the criteria for “unsafe drinking”, characterized by indulging in its consumption to the point of intoxication.
Data collected from the Drug De addiction Centre (DDC) for six months from January to June 2013 shows the trend of alcohol abuse prevalent in the state.
Table 1, shows how out 98 of 196 patients registered at the DDC came with alcohol problems. The maximum number of them between the age group of 20 to 50 years. These are years of early parenthood and the peak of productivity at work of an individual.
Table 2 shows the impact of this habit on relationships and employability.
Here 74 of the 196 registered patients (38%) of the cases are married and 61 of the 74 married individuals are employed i.e. 82.43%.
From this it can be deduced that families are at most risk of suffering the impacts of “alcohol abuse” and those who are economically better off more vulnerable to the habit.
The Liquor Prohibition Act of 1989 has been enacted for over twenty years. Its pros and cons will soon be debated with the recent decision of the government to constitute a committee to review the act. It is time to approach the subject realistically, and take into account the influence of the changing values of a world on “generation next”, and put into place regulations and checks which evoke in citizens respect, not disrespect for the law.
