The 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought life to a standstill in the country. While shops offering essential services were allowed to function, the shutdown led to closure of bars and liquor stores.
The unprecedented shutdown of shops and outlets selling alcohol led to a crisis of sorts. While responsible drinkers may have managed to hoard some amount of alcohol that may last for the duration of the lockdown, the ‘addicts’ found themselves on the receiving end of the nationwide lockdown.
There were even rumours that alcohol may be made available online in Kerala, a state notorious for its consumption of liquor especially during festivals. However, the state government said those who have withdrawal symptoms due to non-consumption of alcohol could make use of the de-addiction centres in the districts.
While not many came out opposing the move to shut bars and liquor stores openly, Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor had said the state and Central governments should let the licensed liquor shops operate.
“Government should for sometime in the evening open all licensed liquor stores. Don't get me wrong. Man will be at home only what with all this depression, uncertainty around. Cops, doctors, civilians etc... need some release. Black mein to sell ho hi raha hai (It is already being sold in black) (sic)," he had tweeted. "State governments desperately need the money from the excise. Frustration should not add up with depression. As it is everyone is drinking so legalise it no hypocrisy. My thoughts," he had further said.
Withdrawal symptoms, suicides
Severe withdrawal symptoms due to non-consumption of alcohol in addicts include seizures, epilepsy, anti-social behaviour and tendency to harm oneself and others. The withdrawal symptoms would be so severe that such patients would also develop suicidal symptoms.
This proved to be the case as non-availability of alcohol led to a spate of suicides in Kerala and elsewhere. On Sunday, police said, two men, frustrated at not being able to get liquor, ended their lives in different part of Kerala. Suneesh (32) from Kodungaloor in Thrissur district allegedly committed suicide by drowning in a river nearby while Noufal (34), allegedly drank aftershave lotion after he struggled with withdrawal symptoms for two days. On Friday, a 38-year-old daily wage labourer, Sanoj, hanged himself from a tree near his house, after showing withdrawal symptoms.
Kerala has recorded as many as six deaths due to non-availability of alcohol.
It is to be noted that only one person died in the state due to coronavirus.
Kerala was not the only state to witness such drastic steps due to non-availability of alcohol. In Hyderabad, a 50-year-old daily wage worker allegedly committed suicide by jumping off a building on Friday. He too had withdrawal symptoms.
In Karnataka too, two men committed suicide in Dakshina Kannada district. Tomy Thomas (50), a rubber tapping labourer in an estate at Kutrupadi village of the Kadaba taluk of Dakshina Kannada, was found hanging at his rented house on Saturday while a 70-year-old man, belonging to Kodimbala village in the taluk, allegedly hanged himself from the branch of a tree near his house.
Countermeasures
While Telangana Excise Minister V. Srinivas Goud advised tipplers suffering from withdrawal symptoms to practise yoga and meditation to overcome the syndrome, Kerala was more practical. The Kerala government issued guidelines to make alcohol available to people who show withdrawal symptoms. They could obtain a special pass from the excise office for buying booze if they manage to produce a doctor's certificate along with personal identification documents. This was despite the opposition by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which said those showing withdrawal symptoms should be provided scientific treatment that can be given at home or by giving medicines after admitting them to hospitals.
"The move to supply liquor to such people cannot be accepted on scientific grounds. Doctors have no legal liability to give prescription to get them liquor," IMA Kerala president Dr Abraham Varghese had said. It was better to give scientific treatment to such persons and any other approach would make things more complicated, he added.
However, the state government said the excise department would issue passes to those producing doctor's prescription. Persons showing alcohol withdrawal symptoms can go to government-run hospitals—primary health centres including ESI, block-level PHCs, taluk hospitals, district hospitals, general hospitals, speciality hospitals and medical colleges—to get them examined. If the examining doctor certifies that the patient shows withdrawal symptoms, he could apply to the excise department for a bottle of booze.
So far, only Kerala has come out with these drastic measures. It is yet to be seen whether other states will follow suit.
(With inputs from PTI, Onmanorama)