THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A steep rise in the beer and wine sales consequent to the opening of more beer and wine parlours in the state has triggered fresh concerns.
According to the figures of Kerala State Beverages Corporation, in December 2014, the sale of beer was 49,72,376 litres.
After beer an wine parlour licences were issued to about 400-odd closed bars, the beer sale escalated to 81,08,607 litres in January, 88,09,689 in February and 94,60,584 in March.
“This is a dangerous trend as the alcohol content being consumed by a person while taking beer would be equal to that of a couple of pegs of liquor.
Hence, the government has to rethink on its policy of allowing more beer and wine parlours,” said Mr. Johnson Edayaranmula, executive director, Alcohol and Drug Information Centre— India.
An Alcoholic Atlas of Kerala brought out by ADIC-India here on Tuesday also pointed out that wine sales in the state too had increased drastically over the last couple of months.
Wine sales that stood at 64,859 litres in December 2014, increased to 1,40,797 litres in January and 1,60,349 in February. But in March, the sales came down to 86,617 litres, the reason for which was yet to be ascertained.
“In Kerala, usually wine sale goes up during December owing to Christmas. However, these figures of Beverages Corporation show that the wine sale had doubled consequent to the opening of more beer and wine parlours,” said Mr. Edayaranmula.
An 8.5 percent dip in IMFL sale is the major outcome of the closure of bars. IMFL sale that stood at 21,56,29,420 litres in 2013-14 came down to 19,69,74,271 litres in 2014-15. “It is for the first time in the last 31 years that the sale of liquor in the state had shown a downward trend,” he said.
The Alcoholic Atlas released by KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran by handing over a copy to Kudumbasree executive director K.B. Valsalakumari also presents various disturbing facts about alcohol consumption in the state. The lower age of alcoholic in the state was 13.5 in 2014.
Among the alcohol consumers, 20 percent are below the age of 20, 34 percent in the age group of 21 to 30 and 32 percent in the age group of 31 to 40.
