‘Prohibition brought positive changes in women’s lives’

PATNA: Liquor

prohibition

in state has brought positive changes in the lives of many women, who used to suffer from mental and physical assaults by their husbands in an inebriated state.

Gita Devi (45) of Dhibra at Anand Bazaar in Danapur told this newspaper on Monday that her husband Bhola Shah was a habitual drunkard before the implementation of prohibition law in the state three years ago. “Those days were like nightmare. My daughters used to live in fear as scuffles often broke out after my husband got drunk,” she recalled. “It took a few months to get him normal and now there is peace in my family,” she added.

Gita, a farm labourer, used to live with her husband, three sons and two daughters in a hut. Now, they have a two-room flat under PM Gramin Awaas Yojana. In the last two years, the couple has solemnised the marriage of two daughters and a son.

Gopal Ram (36), who works as a mason in Phulwarisharif area and earns Rs500 per day, said he feels ashamed of beating his wife and kids in a drunken state earlier. “After prohibition, I was jittery but got cured with the help from a de-addiction centre. Now, I spend my earnings on household and kids’ education,” he said.

If the state government figures are to be believed, Rs5,280 crore is being saved every year owing to people giving up liquor. The state government has organized a programme at Gyan Bhavan on Tuesday to celebrate ‘De-Addiction Day’. CM Nitish Kumar, deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and prohibition, excise and registration department minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav will grace the occasion.

Dr Santosh Kumar, nodal officer of De-addiction Centre at NMCH Patna and associate professor at

psychiatry

department there told this newspaper that total 5,500 patients were admitted to OPD for treatment for alcohol and drug addiction in the last three years. “The number of cases is increasing due to awareness in society. People know they can be cured with medical assistance,” he said.

“Drug consumption is not a choice, but a biologically mediated illness. People who are using polysubstance like nicotine, brown

sugar

and alcohol should be treated with compassion and empathy,” he added.

Dr Kumar further said: “There are only 30-40% people who left using the drug substance after treatment.”

Dr Rakhi Sharma, a social worker and counsellor at Disha De-Addiction Centre, said 250 patients are presently taking medical help and counselling to quit the addiction of polysubstance. “Around 35 of them are minor, 50 adolescents and rest of them are adults. Some people came willingly while some with the help of civil society and social awareness groups as well as under pressure from their family members,” Dr Sharma said.

“The cases of patients consuming liquor had gone down as people have switched over to other substances. Kids generally consume whitener and glue whereas adolescents take syrups and nicotine; adults use injection, brown sugar and other drugs. On an average, around 3,100 people came here for treatment,” Dr Sharma added.



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