Two incidents still haunt public memory:
1️⃣ Every GST reform discussion sidesteps alcohol taxation, despite alcohol being a major revenue source—yet not under GST.
2️⃣ The tragic Pune Porsche accident—drunken driving, fatalities, and how wealth sometimes shields accountability.
These aren’t isolated. They spotlight a larger, unregulated ecosystem around alcohol consumption in India.
📊 According to NFHS-5, 23% of Indian men and 1% of women consume alcohol. While these numbers may appear moderate, the health, social, and economic costs tell a different story:
🚫 The safe limit of alcohol? 0 ml.
🧠 Alcohol is a habit-forming, sin good—like tobacco. Peer pressure, celebrity influence, cheap availability, and surrogate ads fuel the crisis.
🧾 What’s worse? Alcohol revenue is lucrative. States resist reform because excise duties fund large parts of their budgets. That’s why:
Minimum legal drinking age varies from state to state.
Policy remains fragmented and reactive.
But the costs are dire:
📉 Reduced productivity, domestic violence, rising crimes.
💰 Families slipping into poverty.
🧬 Proven links to cancer and other chronic diseases.
So what’s the way forward?
✅ A National Alcohol Control Policy that:
- Brings uniformity in age, access, and advertising restrictions
- Regulates surrogate marketing and enforces plain packaging
- Increases taxation on cheap liquor and allocates funds specifically for public health and education
- Curbs misleading “alcohol is good for health” claims online
- Promotes awareness campaigns on long-term health and societal harm
📌 It’s time we prioritized people over profit, prevention over revenue, and well-being over short-term politics.
Let’s talk about reforms that truly matter.
#PublicHealth #PolicyMatters #TNPSC #Governance #SocialJustice #AlcoholControl #IndiaPolicy #TNPSCPreparation #HealthPolicy
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