Bihar’s quixotic battle against alcohol .....

 

Better regulation, adequate de-addiction centres, health and safety checks, and more government attention on policing could curb ill-effects of prohibition..

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s announcement that the government will conduct a door-to-door survey on the impact of prohibition in the state has the potential to inject some semblance of evidence-based policymaking into the regime of liquor ban in the state. It also holds the first clue that the administration may have a rethink of the policy that may be popular with a section of the population but has seriously harmful consequences.

Kumar’s stance on the liquor ban is moral — it helps build a more enlightened society, reduces crimes and violence