On Alcohol Policies in India – Our hypocrisy on alcohol

Source: This post on Alcohol Policies in India is based on the article “Our hypocrisy on alcohol: It’s about politics and money — not health” published in Indian Express on 16^th November 2023.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2 Indian Polity – Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

News: The article discusses India’s conflicting views and policies on alcohol. It mentions how alcohol is seen differently in various cultures and religions within India, and how state policies focus more on revenue than health. The need for a consistent, health-focused alcohol policy is emphasized.

How do Indian attitudes vary towards alcohol?

Cultural Views: Alcohol is viewed differently across Indian cultures. Upper castes often see it as negative, linking it to “tamasic” food, while many tribal societies accept it openly.

Gender Dynamics: Alcohol consumption by men often negatively impacts women, leading to many women-led social protests against alcohol.

Alcohol and Religion: Different religions in India have varied stances on alcohol. Islam forbids it, Christianity is more permissive, and Hinduism does not explicitly prohibit it.

Medical View: Medically, alcohol is recognized as harmful in India, known for increasing the risk of heart diseases and impacting liver health.

What are the approaches to alcohol policy across different States?

Different states have different approaches. These include:

1. a) Revenue-Driven Policies: States like Haryana and Delhi have policies driven by the revenue potential of alcohol sales, with Haryana having liquor vends every few hundred meters in some cities.
2. b) Socio-cultural Factors: Gujarat continues prohibition as a Gandhian legacy, while Mizoram, a Christian-majority state, also has prohibition laws.
3. c) Government Control for Safety: Tamil Nadu, learning from hooch tragedies, controls alcohol sales through its State Marketing Corporation, aiming for safer consumption.

What are the issues with alcohol policies in India?

Revenue vs. Health Priorities: The focus on generating revenue often overshadows health concerns. States like Kerala stepped back from partial prohibition for financial reasons, showing a conflict between health and revenue.
Also, the practice of notifying “dry days” in advance so people can purchase alcohol beforehand, showing a bureaucratic approach rather than a focus on health.

Inconsistent State Policies: There’s a lack of uniformity in policies among states. For instance, Haryana’s approach with numerous liquor vends contrasts with the prohibition in Gujarat and Mizoram.

Weak Enforcement of Regulations: Despite existing rules, enforcement is lax. The article notes that alcohol firms flout advertising bans, including in major events like the cricket World Cup, with little government intervention.

Exclusion from GST: States are reluctant to include alcohol under the GST scheme, indicating a preference for maintaining individual control over alcohol policies for revenue reasons.

What should be done?

National Health-Focused Policy: A national alcohol policy prioritizing health over revenue is necessary. This should align with the WHO’s updated stance of “no alcohol is good.”

Tackle Societal Hypocrisy: The hypocrisy in societal attitudes, like the difference in private and public consumption and varying views across castes and religions, needs to be confronted.

Legislative Action on Advertising: Stronger legislative measures are needed to enforce advertising bans and control surrogate advertising by alcohol firms.

Balanced Approach to Revenue and Health: The policy should find a middle ground between revenue generation and health impact mitigation, considering the economic aspects without compromising public health.

Open Discussion: Society needs open, non-judgmental discussions about alcohol use, breaking down the traditionalism vs. modernism dichotomy and addressing religious perspectives.

Question for practice:

Critically analyse the effectiveness of the alcohol policies in India in addressing health risks.