Dry Bihar still on a high: Consumption of alcohol higher than UP, Rajasthan, Maharashtra
India Today
Alcohol consumption is higher in Bihar than in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. However, none of these three states prohibit the sale or consumption of alcohol.
Nearly one out of every five men drink alcohol in India. In dry Bihar, the share is slightly less but higher than in states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. Unlike Bihar, however, there is no ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol in these three states.
As per the latest national family health survey data, alcohol consumption is widespread in men aged 15 years and above in Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, parts of Assam, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. In these states, the incidence is 40 per cent or more.
However, in populous states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Bihar, the proportion of the population drinking alcohol is at par with the national average or less.
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In Bihar, more than 15 per cent of males aged 15 and above are estimated to be alcohol consumers, while the numbers for Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh stand at 11 per cent, 13.9 per cent, and 14.5 per cent respectively.
In Bihar, prohibition came into force in 2016. According to reports, close to 3.5 lakh cases were lodged and more than four lakh arrests were made under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise law, as of October 2021. The state reportedly loses Rs. 10,000 crore every year in revenue because of the prohibition.
Data shows that despite stringent measures, consumption of alcohol remains high in Bihar. As per the latest data, in Gujarat, another dry state, less than six per cent of men drink alcohol. As elsewhere in the country, liquor consumption is higher in Bihar’s rural areas. And the prevalence is low among women.
