THIRUVANANTHAPRUAM: Ahead of the chief minister's announcement of new liquor policy, the state committee of LDF had recommended the government to make necessary changes in the previous policy . The state committee which met at the AKG Centre was of he opinion that the UDF policy has to be reversed and major changes were required. The LDF felt that the UDF policy of phased prohibition was not practical and the state should not go for a policy which focused on temperance and not on Prohibition . LDF Convenor Vaikom Viswan said even the A P Udayabhanu commission had not recommended prohibition as a step to bring down liquor consumption.
Wherever prohibition policy was implemented it had resulted in massive substance abuse. The UDF poliy had also led to huge corruption. Instead of bringn down consumption, it had led to increase in consumption of beer andwine in a big way. The LDF stressed the need of launching a statewide campaign to create awareness about substance abuse and the alarming use of narcotic substances in the state . The LDF also wanted the government to spend adequate funds for providing better de-addiction centers, health facilities and rehabilitation programmes for those addicted to alcohol or other drugs .
