Booze Drinking Minimum Age Stays at 21, Not 25!

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 16: Youngsters, who would like to drink hard liquor either for celebration or as fashion, need not be apprehensive that Karnataka will emulate Maharashtra Government’s example of increasing the minimum age for drinking hard liquor to 25 years from 21 years.

Karnataka’s Excise Minister M P Renukacharya made it clear that the State Government was not considering any proposal for raising the minimum age for consumption of hard liquor from 21 years.

The minister spoke to reporters after a meeting with officials and inspectors of the Department in Bangalore on Wednesday.

''The existing minimum of age of 21 years will continue,” the minister declared making it clear that the Department had not discussed the issue of increasing the minimum age for consumption of hard liquor, he said.

It may be recalled that the Minister had recently shot down a proposal of the Bangalore City Police Commissioner Jyotiprakash Mirji for banning the employment of barmaids in bars and restaurants in the City. Earlier, he had opposed a proposal for enforcing wearing of uniform on Barmaids.

Alcohol consumption begins at 18, says Study

However, a study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, stated that the earliest age at which alcohol is consumed has changed significantly - from 28 years in 1980 to 18 years in 2010.

The study revealed that over 50 per cent of regular alcohol users fall into the category of hazardous drinking, and the use of alcohol was increasing disproportionately in younger age groups.

Maharashtra has taken the decision to hike the minimum age as part of the government’s de-addiction policy that seeks to tighten the implementation of laws on alcohol abuse and illicit sale of liquor.

The minister took the police to task for harassing owners of bars in the city for employing women bartenders.

''The Department has not permitted bars and restaurant owners to employ women bartenders,” he said pointing out that the owners of Bars and Restaurants in the city had obtained the right to hire bartenders following the orders of the Supreme Court and the Karnataka High Court striking down a provision related to banning employing woemen bartenders.

There are nearly 800 bars and restaurants in the city and only 48 have employed bartenders to supply liquor, he said, adding: Department officials would step in only if there were cases of violation of licence conditions by owners of bar and restaurants.

Renukacharya said the Department has decided to provide 450 pistols to inspectors and above rank officials to confront bootleggers. The Home Department’s Procurement Committee has been asked to supply pistols to the department.

A team of officials were pelted with stones by bootleggers when they tried to raid an illicit liquor manufacturing unit in Kharvi village in Belgaum taluk recently, the minister said.

69 Taluks have become ''Illicit Liquor-free"

Renukachayra claimed that 69 taluks in the State have become free from illicit liquor menace during the last one year and directed the district and the divisional level officials’ have been instructed to eliminate 830 illicit liquor manufacturing units located in different districts by conducting raids regularly.

There were 1970 illicit liquor manufacturing centres in different parts of the State. Of these, as many as 1140 centres have been wiped out during the last one year. Now, 830 centers have been producing illicit liquor in different districts, he said.

Most of the centres producing spurious liquor have been located in Belguam, Bagalkote and Bijapur districts, he said disclosing that the officials and inspectors have been given two-month deadline to destroy existing illicit liquor producing units to declare Karnataka as “illicit liquor free state.”

As much as 138 kg of ganja had been seized and 132 persons have been arrested during the last one year. A new check-post been set up at Kankumbi on Belguam-Goa border to prevent illegal transport of liquor and carbohydrate powder used to manufacture liquor.

With this, the department has established three check posts on the Karnataka- Belgaum border.

Toddy and carbohydrate were being illegally transported from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to Bidar, Gublarga and Raichur districts. Steps have been taken to check illegal movement of liquor from other states, he added.