India is the 3rd largest liquor market in the world. The alcohol industry is one of the fastest growing industries on the back of demographics and economy. With a growth of 7-12% in the decade between 2001 to 2011, the alcohol industry in India has indeed been flourishing.
Major factors behind the Growth
- The growth of the alcohol industry has been partly due to the fact that the youth of India has joined the brigade of the consumers.
- Alcohol companies have also managed to brand beverages like Vodka as a woman’s drink which has seen a boom in its sales in the past decade.
- The elastic nature of the industry has also been a reason behind the growth of this industry. If prices are higher, demand does not fall, instead the consumer moves towards the cheaper brands. As a result, market giants are constantly locking horns by trying to make the price of their product the most competitive in the market.
- The youth in India has no dearth of choice as far as the availability of alcohol at cheap rates is concerned.
- Without limits and on usage over a long period of time even within limits, alcohol can cause brain damage.
- Alcohol used over extended period of time can result in mouth or throat cancer, liver cirrhosis and heart problems among other health hazards.
- Weight gain and dehydrated skin are also some of the side effects of alcohol.
- Apart from the health hazards, there are also the dangers of doing something out of character while being intoxicated. Like getting physically intimate with someone without protection which may have varied negative outcomes like pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease.
- Alcohol can also cause personality disorders.
- Last but not the least, alcohol has the tendency of instilling a false sense of being indomitable resulting in risk-taking behaviours like engaging in violence, or going in for speed thrills which may result in fatal accidents.
- In recent years, disapproval of alcohol drinking has decreased which in turn has driven up consumption especially among the youth.
- Social drinking has become the norm of the day for the youth.
- Due to weak implementation of laws, prohibition is not 100% successful. The alcohol market just shifts underground and the youth are able to buy what they want from the black market.
- The age limit is only on paper and no one follows the law and neither does the law care.
- Status or locations are no barriers. Easy availability has resulted in the rich, middle-class and the poor youth, as well as the youth in the urban sector and the rural sector drinking alike.
- There is no awareness among the youth as to the dangers of alcohol.
- Alcohol still remains in the closet in India and thus educating the youth about drinking becomes difficult.
- There is no central policy regarding alcohol
- The law of advertisement does not cover the modern media including social media and mobile apps.
- The policies of the social media regarding advertisement of alcohol brands are very vague.
- Prohibition needs to be enforced strictly with a special emphasis on eradicating black marketeers.
- The minimum age of drinking should be followed, and law enforcement agencies should participate diligently in enforcing the rule.
- The social media should be included in the law of prohibition of advertisement of alcoholic beverages at the earliest date.
- Students need to be educated regarding the ill effects of alcohol at the schools as well as at home by parents.
