Liquor guzzling up by 11 per cent

India’s 11th largest state – Tamil Nadu, known for the aromatic and energising filter coffee and piping hot idlis, appears to have become a land of gargantuan alcohol \ beer guzzlers, albeit the state government yielding to demand by political parties and anti-liquor activists and commencing to implement prohibition in a phased manner.

This seventh most populous state (7.21 crore) is showing an increasing tendency to prefer hard liquors and distilled spirits and beer, probably replacing the traditional dabra tumbler with the ‘unmeasured’ peg for every occasion. DC’s correspondents J. V. Siva Prasanna Kumar and Laasya Shekhar capture the
emerging trend in sales and what it implies.

About 46.7 % men are alcoholics
For a majority of men Deepavali seems to mean drink and be merry, if the sales at the state owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) is any indication. On the day of Deepavali the corporation registered a sale for '135 crore besides Rs 108 crore on the eve of the festival (totally to Rs 243 crore), registering a 11 per cent increase over the previous year.

Last year, the Tasmac netted a revenue of Rs 216 crore including sale for Rs 123 on Deepavali day.  Alcohol consumption is known risk factors of many non-communicable diseases.About 46.7 per cent men and 0.4 per cent women in the 15 – 49 years age group consume alcohol in Tamil Nadu. This is higher compared to the position a decade ago, as per the National Family Health Survey 2015 – 16. Though this raises the serious concern of disease burden, especially when youngsters take to drinking alcohol, the soaring sales indicate where the individual’s earnings goes.

“The price of beer or brandy is cheap. But despite the government imposing a hefty excise and sales tax, people are willing to shell any amount to satiate themselves. The price of Kingfisher (beer) for instance comes to Rs 2.65, but they have to pay Rs 110 for it inclusive of revenue and sales taxes,” a senior Tasmac official claims. He says the government could not be blamed for the spurt in sales.

Nearly 33 per cent  of the state’s revenue, which is estimated to be Rs 1,48,175.09 crore for 2016 — 17, comes from Tasmac.  According to government data, the revenue projected through Tasmac for 2015 – 16 fiscal is Rs 25,845.58 crore after reducing excise revenue and increasing sales tax. Last year alone saw an estimated 70 lakh people visiting the Tasmac outlets daily.