Alcoholics Anonymous Reviews

Dr Anbumani Ramdoss, the union minister for health and family welfare, is in collision with the Indian Premier League (IPL). According to Ramadoss, “IPL is promoting alcohol,which was vehemently denied by the IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi.”

Ramdoss has been at loggerheads with various Bollywood biggies for their on-screen drinking and smoking scenes. Ramdoss considers it his constitutional duty to discourage the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, but sceptics consider his tactics a means to gain some popularity and remain in news somehow for some noble reason.

As per Article 47 of the Constitution, one of the Directive Principles of the State Policy is, “The state shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties and, in particular, the state shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption except for medicinal purpose of intoxicating drinks and of drugs, which are injurious to health.”

Ramdoss is absolutely right because alcohol abuse has become a major cause of concern for our country, but apart from lecturing film stars, he, as a health minister, has not initiated any concrete steps till now. This problem is not ’India Specific’ and is not something that can be wished away in such a simplistic way. An intense awareness programme needs to be carried out to spread the message effectively. But all these years, the minister kept himself busy manoeuvring the ouster of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director and spreading awareness about the caste factor in the campus. His ideological swing is baffling .The minister, however, has been able to bring this grave issue to the forefront of the nation now.

A recent survey has revealed that the number of alcohol users in the country is on the rise and the number of persons requiring help is quite large. Alcohol addiction has now not remained just an urban phenomena, but even the rural areas are widely affected by it. The trend of women consuming alcohol is also on the rise. A study by National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) has shown that the average age of initiation has reduced from 28 years during 1980s to 20 years in recent times.

As per the latest data on alcohol available from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the proportion of users among rural and urban population is very similar (32 per cent and 31 per cent respectively). India boasts of one of the largest alcoholic beverage industries in the world now .The increasing production, distribution, promotion and easy availability of alcohol coupled with the changing values of society and illiteracy have resulted in a big challenge for the country in the absence of advocacy, research and documentation and a national policy on alcohol.

Advertising of alcoholic beverages is prohibited but the manufacturers take the help of surrogate advertisements to advertise such products.

Ramdoss should first concentrate on improving the health infrastructure of the country. Marketing people will devise some ways to promote their brands somehow. So the need of the hour is to be realistic and desist from blaming industries for the ill affects. It is the duty of the minister to spread awareness and educate young and impressionable minds. He should also keep in mind that there are other diseases, which need to be cured and the rural health centres should be equipped for that. But the minister seems unconcerned about those issues. Perhaps, any such initiative would not ensure a headline for him.

Merinews