'Dry state' Gujarat has 4.3% liquor addicts: Union Minister

Despite a blanket ban on alcohol in Gujarat, more than 19 lakh people consume liquor. This information was furnished by Union Minister of State A Narayanaswamy in the Rajya Sabha recently. Gujarat has more people consuming liquor than in Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar.

Ahmedabad:Despite being a dry state, about 4.3 per cent of the adult population in Gujarat is addicted to alcohol, Union Minister of State (social justice and empowerment) stated in a response tabled in the Rajya Sabha. His response came to a question on the alcohol consumption in Gujarat. Figures collected during the National Drug Use Survey 2019 by AIIMS said that 19.53 lakh, that constitutes 4.3 per cent of Gujarat's population, is addicted to alcohol.

Gujarat, in fact, has more people addicted to liquor than Rajasthan (2.3%), Jammu & Kashmir (4%) and Bihar (1%). The national average stood at 17.1 per cent as per the datat. In addition, 1.46 per cent of Gujarat's population i.e. 6.64 lakh people, consume opium, 1.38 per cent or 6.28 lakh people, use sedatives and 0.8 per cent or 3.64 lakh people smoke cannabis. The survey also mentioned that Gujaratis did not consume cocaine, amphetamine and hallucinogen. It did not provide any information on tobacco use in the state.

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An application challenging alchol ban in Gujarat was earlier filed in the Gujarat High Court. To this, the state government had said that since the Supreme Court had ratified the ban in 1951, the Gujarat High Court could no longer hear the writ. In the same case, a petition seeking permission to consume alcohol at home under the 'Right to Privacy' was heard in the high court. To this, the state government had justified the blanket ban 'for the welfare of women and citizens'.