1^st July, 2012 episode of Satyameva Jayate took up the ill-affects of alcoholic habit which is very close to my heart and I have been advocating against it throughout my life.   

Mr. Vijay Sharma, presently working as a Executive Editor of Thehelka, a well respected journalist explained in great detail how the alcoholic habit, which he never thought to be abnormal got into such addiction that he used to take it daily, go the press club in the vening and even after taking drinks right through used to order for 6 large pegs at the end bell at 10:30 pm.   He started abusing people and parents, started losing focus on the job and ultimately lost the job and to finance his drinking habits, he started borrowing from all and sundry including his maid servant, extort money from politicians and and even police, abandoned by parents, and has come to such a pitiable situation that he used to spend his days and nights on the road including train toilets where even flies could not dare to enter for about 9 months.    In a desperate attempt to finance his drinking habit, he has gone to be extent of striking a deal for selling his kidney.     His father denounced him by writing that `it is a curse to have a son like you’  and till date stays away from mother who has never pardoned him.    He ultimately attended Occar Farera’s de-addition camp, got de-addicted and got married and settled.  

It followed by video clipping of horrifying experiences shared by children and spouses of drunkards, how the male members of the family ruined their lives by uncontrolled drinking habits which lead to severe health problems and death.

Dr. Ashish explained that `alcoholism’  is not a habit but a disease and like any other decease it also requires treatment.    If  people around advise that you should drink less, your habit is affecting them and your day starts with taking a drink or two,  and you get  angry on being advised  are the symptoms of addiction.

Another addict Mr,. Lakshman explained in a very humorous manner – a la kesto mukerjee – his alcohol addiction and squandering Rs. 40 lakhs of his hard earned money, being abandoned by family and friends, borrowing and people shunning away from him and losing the job.    Ultimately contacting Alcho     synonymous de-addiction camp and there too, in the beginning,  demanding alcoholic to listen to their lecture but ultimately following their prescription and completely getting de-addicted and not taking drinks for over 14 years.  

The famous lyricist Mr. Javed Aktar who also dabbled with the habit of alcoholic for 27 years out of which in the  last 11 years used to consume a bottle per day.   He highlighted that in the movies the heroes who consumes alcohol were shown to be glamorous and talking lot of sense, but in the real life  the alcoholic  only looks  `Ghilone, Ghada or both’  - not been able to stand straight, talk incoherently with heavy face, perspirating all the time.     He has a good point when he said that unlike other good habits like taking milk (say two glass per day which remains so all the life) the quantity of consumption of alcohol keeps increasing – going from 1-2 pegs to 5-6 pegs.   He honestly admitted that he did not do any stupid act without being drunk and thankfully he got rid of the habit and not taken drinks for many years.

Mr.  Sumir Anand  father of a young and bubbling 15 years Karan Anand has very painfully explained how his son who went for dinner with a 19 years old friend who was dead drunk  while being  behind the wheel of car which crashed and 3 occupants who have not consumed any alcohol died and the drunk driver got away scratch-less and as always happens got out on bail the very next day of accident.    As he rightly pointed out, the drunken driver behind the wheel is like holding a deadly weapon and when he causes accident resulting in death of any other innocent person,  he should be treated as a murderer and charged for accordingly.    This issue needs a larger debate and a serious look at by the authorities concerned.      What to talk about illiterate or less educated truck or bus drivers even highly educated well to do people go to parties, clubs and hotels get drunk and in that in-hibernated state drive back home many times with friends and family members.    In highly crowded roads with rash drivers all around, when it becomes difficult for a person behind the wheels in full senses to handle how can a person with couple of drinks down can manage?       I never understand what stops such people from hiring taxi (with so many radio taxis a call away) or engage driver, who comes for much lesser than what they might have blown up on drinks, so that they and others can be safe on roads.  

   

Dr Benegal explained about hazardous drinking and in India with about 50% of the people being  hazardous  drinkers.   Against 2 pegs of 30 ml which is treated as social drinking, in India normally people take 5-6 six pegs which is more than upper limit all over the world.    25% injured coming to hospital in a Bangalore are drunk themselves causing accidents and hurting themselves and more than 50% cases are those who are injured by an accident caused by a drunk person.     Once I saw a video clipping of execution of punishment in Singapore for drunk driving wherein the person was taken to jail, tied to a pole, stripped from back and given 10 lashes with a heavy leather belt on the buttocks, with skin getting peeled off with the third lash itself and profusely bleeding at the end of 10 lashes and then literally carried away in an unconscious state.      There can be no doubt even after recovering, whenever he sits to drive a car it will hurt and remind him not to drive rash.     Though such things may sound barbaric but the people by their negligence and overconfidence of being in full control of themselves causing accidents killing people do not deserve any mercy and civilized treatment.  

What is not covered in the programme

Though the programme started with Aamir enquiring from a large number of young people in the studio how many of them take drinks, many, including few young girls confirming that  they do take and they think it to be cool and in-thing and it is one of the ways to announce that they are grown up and trendy.    But for the initial few minutes, hardly any time was spent on discussing and giving solutions to the youth who got into the habit of alcoholism

Last edition of India Today carried a very comprehensive study of the drinking habits of youth in India and given some shocking statistics and revelations.      The average induction to the alcohol habit has come down to ridiculous low of 13 years and 45%  of the school/college going students including young girls are taking to drinking habits without much fuss.    Instances have come to light that school going kids are smuggling drinks in their water bottles and sharing during break.   

Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore name any metro city rave parties are rifle attended mainly by school and college going kids, one kid spoiling inducts few more into such groups and an impression is created that smoking and drinking is a style statement and anyone who is not smoking and drinking is not treated to be modern.   Every restaurant, club and pub serving beer/alcohol beverages is not helping the cause too.    One can always justify that they are just social drinkers and take drinks only when they attend parties, marriages cock tail got-together without realizing that they have become addicts long time back because in a month they attend not less than 15-20 such parties, marriages and cocktail get-togethers.     In places like Delhi it is really a pitiable situation finding highly educated, well placed, well dressed but unfortunately not well cultured and well mannered people  following the `Baraat’ (marriage parties) and right throughout the route consuming alcohol on the cars/vans converted into mobile bar-be-ques and making all rakkas on the roads used by general public.    No need to add that they are never in their senses to realize that they are called for witness a pious event like a marriage and to bless the young couple and where women and children come in large numbers who feel extremely discomfortable .

Gone are the days when children try to work very hard to excel in their studies, sports, performance arts like music, dance, dramatics and painting so that they can get recognition amongst peers and are hero worshipped.     But now-a-days kids are adopting easy ways and means of dressing up scantily, exhibiting brat behavior and getting into bad habits of smoking and drinking to show themselves to be trendy.       Both parents being in good jobs, making disproportionately higher amount available to the kids and not enforcing discipline (erroneously thinking that doing so is putting pressure on them)  just to cover up their own inability to spare time for them is also becoming the route cause for all this rut.  

I can tell by my experience that if a person has self-discipline and self-control no one can get us into these habits with best of their persuasive powers.   No doubt at every stage of life people will try their best to offer (to begin with free of cost) and entice you to get into these habits and undoubtedly say playfully that you are old fashioned if you do not join their bandwagon but beyond one point they too realize that you are a tough nut to crack and give it up and start appreciating your habit of abstinence.        It is very easy to stand stead-fast and resist than getting into the habit then struggle to get out of it.   Whether it is 20s while working in a high salaried PSU job with all colleagues well settled in cozy jobs going berserk with all these habits, in 30s in Merchant Banking days going around India for press and brokers conferences in 5 star hotels where booze used to flow and at present working in hospitality industry with everything is on the house I never felt the temptation to be strong enough to give in.    On the contrary on many occasions, I found many of my colleges who were addicted to smoking and drinking, ruining their health and at advance age struggle to get rid of the habits.  

So it is a question of being strong by habits and character and resist the temptation rather than regretted later.  

S. Prabhakar

1.7.2012