What is the Impact of Alcohol Ban on Prevalence of Undertrial Prisoners of Liquor & Narcotics Drugs Related Acts Violation in Bihar - A Twelve Year (2010-2021) Compar-ative Cross-Sectional Study?

Abstract

Piyush Kumar and Anupama

There is a global prerequisite for making and implementing a diminution strategy in the want of drugs of addiction, both legal and banned, which may otherwise lead to plentiful negative health, family, socio-economic and mental consequences. During the 63rd session of the WHA (World Health Assembly), held at Geneva in May 2010, including India the 193 global member states reached on mutual consensus for global strategies to trim down the detrimental use of alcohol by adopting resolution WHA 63.13. The (GoI) Government of India enforced, The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, Act No. 61 of 1985 with guidelines, protocols and essential framework to reduce drug abuse and sale in India. Alcohol causes 3 million deaths per annum globally; responsible for 5.1% of the global burden of disease, gender wise harmful consumption of alcohol is about 7.1% in males compared to 2.2% in females. The Bihar Excise Act, 1915 was amended and new amendment Act, 2016 was enforced from 01.04.2016, vide Gazette Notification No. 1485 dated 05.04.2016. Absolute Prohibition of sale and consumption of liquor in any form was declared in the State of Bihar. Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016 was notified on 2 October 2016 to put into effect complete ban of alcohol consumption/sale in the territory of Bihar. The key objective of this study is to find out impact of alcohol ban on the prevalence of under trial, Prisoners of Liquor & Narcotics Drugs related Acts violation before the intervention (i.e. alcohol ban) and after alcohol ban. This novel cross sectional research study revealed that there is 1190.39 percent increase in the Under trial, prisoners violating Bihar Liquor & Narcotics Drugs Excise Act after absolute prohibition of sale and consumption of liquor in Bihar, India. Added to this the research study also revealed that there is 355.12 percent and 169.30 percent increase in violation of Liquor & Narcotics Drugs Prohibition Act as well as Liquor & Narcotics Drugs NDPS Act respectively during the period when alcohol is banned in the state of Bihar as compared to same period before alcohol ban.

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