98% women and 86% men support liquor

ban in Kerala
TNN | Sep 21, 2014, 03.56AM IST

KOCHI: Public opinion in urban Kerala is overwhelmingly in favour of phased prohibition of

alcohol in the state. A TOI-IMRB survey conducted in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, the
state's leading metros, revealed that 92% of the respondents supported the liquor ban. Genderwise, 98% women cheered the decision of the Kerala government to phase out alcohol
consumption in the state in 10 years, beginning with shutting down bars, while the percentage of
yes-sayers among men was 86%.
The survey's target group comprised 50% men and 50% women, and was similarly divided
between the 25-35 and 36-50 age groups. Sampling error has been pegged at 6.9%.
While the general sentiment on the liquor ban - currently contested in court -- was predictable,
the survey threw up a few surprises, notably regarding benefits to society and the feared fallout.
The biggest surprise - at least from the point of view of the politically correct types who want
their Johnnie Walker and guzzle it too -- was that just 23% of overall respondents thought the
ban would lead to a drop in tourist footfalls.
Most respondents in both Kochi (88%) and Thiruvananthapuram (70%) agreed that less
consumption of alcohol would fatten their wallets and lead to healthier lifestyles though the two
metros seemed poles apart when it came to assessing the impact of the liquor ban on women's
safety and domestic violence: In Kochi only 22% thought it would bring down domestic violence
while 36% thought it would increase women safety. The corresponding percentage for
Thiruvananthapuram is 74 and 75.
Similarly, 7% of Kochi's respondents seemed to believe that the ban would have only marginal
impact on law and order while Thiruvananthapuram (53%) thought the contrary. Both cities
concurred that spurious liquor and use of drugs would go up as a result of the ban but Kochi
(23%) seemed more sceptical than Thiruvananthapuram (64%) on how much more
unemployment it would lead to. As for making up for the huge revenue deficit of Rs 12,000
crore, alternatives ranged from taxing luxury goods (74%), to introducing gold cess (24%).
Stay updated on the go with The Times of Indias mobile apps. Click here to download it for your device.

iruvananthapuram: The Oommen Chandy government in Kerala has ordered a ban on the sale
of alcohol in all non-5 star outlets in the state. It remains to be seen whether the liquor
prohibition in phases policy could work for Kerala.

"When my husband was drunk, he would throw the food. All the money was spent on liquor. He
even sold my jewellery. As a family we never knew what happiness was," said Sapna Begum, a
Kerala resident.
From earning Rs 30,000 a month, Sapna's husband Sulfikar was reduced to a jobless alcoholic
begging on the streets to pay for his next drink. It was a nightmare for his wife, even pushing her
to attempt suicide.
"One day he collapsed. I thought he was dead. I took our children to my mother's house. I came
back and tried to hang myself, but my sister and mother stopped me," Sapna said.
Sulfikar went through rehabilitation and has been sober for years. When he looks back, he says
bad company, easy money and easy access to alcohol were responsible for his habit.
"In my rehabilitation, I learnt that an alcoholic can get his life back. So far I have helped 70 more
alcoholics to recover," Sulfikar said.
In 2010, Kerala consumed 11.1 litre of alcohol per person, almost 3 times the national average of
4.3 litre per person. Oommen Chandy is using this alarming fact to justify his intent to ban non
5-star liquor sales. There is also concern about the easy availability of liquor across Kerala,
especially to youngsters.
"The most frustrating or dangerous trend that we all have been noticing was that the average age
of initiating has been reduced from 19 to 13.5 years now. There is an increase in the number of
young drinking population especially adolescents and youth," said Johnson J Edayarnmula,
Director, ADIC - India.
The government claims that a strict ban will also reduce crime rates and make the streets safer
for women. "Such a decision can be taken only this way, otherwise a search committee, expert
committee will be formed. So many such reports are pending before the government and no
action has been taken on that. The UDF Government took a conscious decision to save the future
generation to come. We are coming down heavily on the drug mafia which is exploiting the
younger generation," said Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala.
Partial liquor ban is aimed at providing relief to those families who have been victims of
alcoholism. But many feel that the new liquor policy was announced without doing research and
even an impact assessment study. The big question is whether the Oommen Chandy government
will be able to implement this in the strict sense.
Ban on drinking alcohol! However, the Government has not yet confirmed how enforcement of the ban will work.
This approach of banning use of alcohol appears to wrongly assume that the substance of alcohol is the necessary
and sufficient cause of all drinking problems and that the availability of alcohol determines the extent to which it
will be consumed and abused. Accordingly, policies developed from this approach focus on limiting (or reducing)
availability. And because they are founded on questionable assumptions, such policies not only fail to achieve their
objectives, they may, in fact, be counterproductive. Humankind has had a relationship with beverage alcohol for
over 6,000 years, suggesting that we need to divorce the subject from the emotionalism that has engulfed it, and

approach it from a more intelligent, reasonable perspective. Liver disease and alcoholism are much bigger
problems among the population than previously thought. Today, we find too many individuals are drinking more
frequently, they are drinking stronger alcohol and they are using it as a common antidote for stress. Alcohol has
also become much cheaper in real terms. It makes me wonder whether there has been a significant culture shift
away from taking responsibility for their life. Societys relationship with alcohol has changed fundamentally in the
past few decadesand this is the impact of it. Abusive drinking is, without question, a serious problem. But we
will never make real progress against that problem until we take a hard look at the approach. It is better to teach
the safe use of alcohol. Education about drinking starts early and starts in the home. Young people are taught-under their parents' supervision, through their parents' example--that if they drink, they should drink moderately.
It is an irony that the province with the highest literacy rate is faced with a situation when its local government
seeks to ban drinking! Alcohol should be seen neutrally, so that it is neither a terrible poison nor a magic potion.
There should be little or no social pressure to drink, and absolutely no tolerance for abusive drinking. Moderate
drinking and abstinence should be presented as equally acceptable choices. Those who choose to drink should not
force drinking upon abstainers. Those who choose not to drink should have comparable respect for those who do.
Effective education is based on much more than telling people what not to do. Firmly penalize unacceptable
drinking, both legally and socially. While the criminal justice system has an important role to play in this effort, the
most essential role is played by individual peers. Intoxication must never be indulged and never accepted as an
excuse for "bad behaviour." To stigmatize alcohol as inherently harmful and demonizing alcohol use serves no
practical purpose, as it only contributes to cultural emotionalism and ambivalence, and exacerbates the problems

The state will have to forgo revenue from an industry which had contributed Rs 8,150 crore and Rs 8,433
crore in 2012-13 and 2013-14, respectively. The damage the decision would bring on Tourism and IT
industries - the two pillars on which the state's economy is riding - is yet to be quantified.
"The aim is to achieve the target of a liquor-free Kerala in 10 years. We are fulfilling one more promise in
the UDF manifesto," Chandy said. Truth is, Chandy's hand was forced as KPCC president V M Sudheeran,
who is in the forefront of the campaign for prohibition, has been garnering immense popular support
and emerging as an alternative power centre.
Sudheeran, who considered non-renewal of licenses of the closed bars as non-negotiable, had also got
the support of Indian Union Muslim League and Kerala Congress (M), the other two big parties in the
UDF. In Congress, too, leadhe Catholic Church and Muslim organizations also demanded that the
government move towards prohibition. On Thursday, hours before the announcement of the decision,
Cardinal Baselios Mor Cleemis warned the government to get ready to be thrown out if it renewed the
licenses of closed bars.
"The only option for Chandy to gain lost ground was to go to the other extreme. He did it and scored a
point," said a senior Congress leader.ers rallied behind Sudheeran on the issue.it seeks to solve. freedom
to enjoy a wide variety of their favourite foods and drinks has been the USP of Kerala for foreign
tourists. So will the proposed alcohol ban make Kerala less attractive for these foreign tourists? KPCC
chief V M Sudheeran recently made a statement regarding the issue, saying that foreign tourists don't
come here to drink. It was met with opposition from many quarters, with those from the hospitality
industry in the forefront. On World Tourism Day today, KT takes stock of the situation.

What brings foreign tourists to Kerala?

Kerala has always been a must-visit destination for foreign tourists who visit India, what with the state
offering everything in a package backwater cruises, Ayurveda and a moderate climate to boot. Fort
Kochi and Kovalam cater entirely to foreign tourists where they get everything they need a touch of
Kerala in a western ambience, in the comforts of luxurious hotels and cafes. It is no wonder that though
the foreign tourists contribute only less than 10% of the total number of tourists visiting Kerala, their
stays are longer, and the revenue they generate is more than 25%, which comes to a whopping `5000
crore a year in foreign exchange!
Is alcohol a necessity then?
While it is common knowledge that hard liquor is a staple for most tourists from other states of India,
the situation is apparently different with foreigners. Most foreign tourists are from countries with cooler
climates and prefer chilled beverages, say those in the hospitality industry. "Their preferred drink is
beer, not hard liquor. Around 11.30-12 in the morning, when the heat goes up, they have a beer or two,
which is like a routine for them. And with dinner, most tourists prefer wine as an accompaniment. All
this applies to both genders," says Edgar Pinto, a hotelier based in Fort Kochi, the tourist hub.
Beer and wine are the hot favourites
Although the tourists can do without hard liquor, beer and wine are a must for them, says Hamsoo, a
tourist guide in the area. "At Fort Kochi, we have a prominent bar and a beer and wine parlour each. The
tourists frequent the beer and wine parlour more than the bar. The bar has closed down now but there
have not been any complaints so far. But beer is a must for them, and so is wine. They don't even
consider it as alcohol," he says.
Are there enough beer and wine parlours to cater to the tourists?
Currently, Kerala has 111 beer and wine parlours, mostly located in the major tourism centres like Fort
Kochi and Kovalam. According to hoteliers, these are severely inadequate to meet the needs of the
tourists. "Hotels with three stars and above are eligible for beer and wine parlours. We want the bars to
be converted to beer and wine parlours at least. But you need the consent of the local governing body
for that and they are not issuing any fresh licenses," says Jose Pradeep, hotelier and Ernakulam district
president of Kerala Bar Hotels Association.
Tourists should be offered choices
Regardless of their personal preferences, a tourist should be offered a choice of drinks, which is what
hospitality is all about, argue hoteliers. "A tourist at my hotel might order only beer but what if he or she
feels like having a gin and tonic? Already we have a hard time explaining dry days to them. The reason
why they come to our state instead of a Gulf country is the freedom they enjoy here. They don't even

use Saudi airways for the same reason. Prohibition is not part of a civilised state. A ban will kill tourism
for sure" says Edgar.
Who are we likely to lose out to?
As of now, the neighbouring Sri Lanka has less than one third of the annual revenue of Kerala tourism.
Taking a cue from Kerala and Goa, Sri Lanka has been reportedly adding pubs and bars to lure foreign
tourists, making it a strong competitor.
Travel agents confirm the fear, saying that the tourism department's move to make Kerala a destination
wedding centre is absurd. "For an event like a wedding or any other special occasion, everyone needs
hard drinks, even foreign tourists," says an agent who doesn't wish to be named. "Already Sri Lanka and
Maldives are giving stiff competition for us when it comes to destination weddings, what with their easy
visa rules. The liquor ban will put us at a disadvantage," he says.
The same goes for Christmas and New Year, when everyone wants something more than beer and wine,
he adds.
Stay updated on the go with The Times of Indias mobile apps. Click here to download it for your device.