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Group Discussion: Should alcohol consumption be made illegal in India?

Drinking alcohol should be legal throughout India:

1. I think we will be able to decide correctly if we understand why people drink alcohol. People usually drink alcohol to enhance sociability, to cope with stress, to escape problems, to get drunk, for enjoyment, or for ritualistic reasons. Hence, if we exclude the miniscule number of people who are unable to regulate their amount of alcohol consumption, we will see no harm in drinking alcohol.
2. Mulfred & Miller found that the category people who tend to use alcohol to escape, avoid, or regulate unpleasant emotions revolves around drinking for negative reinforcement, were labeled under drinking to cope. Such people were heavy drinkers. The second category revolves around drinking for positive reinforcement. This drinking motive has been labeled “drinking to be sociable” and encompasses drinking to be companionable, to celebrate social occasions, and to have a good time with others. It was found that a greater number of people drank for social reasons and such drinkers consumed alcohol lesser and much more infrequently. Many researchers have found that drinking alcohol to cope with problems is more likely to lead to abusive drinking than is social drinking. Hence, if we look scientifically, social drinking is not problematic.
3. I agree to point number two by my friend who is against legalizing alcohol in India. As many other drugs, alcohol consumption rather than prohibited, must be regulated through laws, to avoid turning a health problem into a security one. We need to learn what is good from bad. We must learn to control ourselves. Those who cannot control themselves need to be booked by the police under relevant sections. The punishment will act as a deterrent.
4. I believe enforcing laws regarding minimum age limits who are fit for alcohol consumption needs to be strictly enforced. Cigarette and tobacco consumption are bad for health, but it is openly being sold in dry states like Gujarat & Bihar. I believe that adults should be allowed to make their own responsible decisions about their food and beverages intake - unless the government is willing to take blanket responsibility and ensure everyone only has healthy food and drinks.  Hence, a selective ban on alcohol is uncalled for.
5. I think that a complete ban on alcohol- is not a solution. It will generate illicit trade and brewing of alcohol. People will purchase liquor which is fraught with poison. However, I agree that the preventive measures to combat alcoholism are necessary. First of all, the state should tighten controls in the production, trafficking and sale of alcohol not only by age but by the time of sale. Second, we need to ban the advertising of these products, and not only spirits, but beer too. Finally, the government should promote a healthy lifestyle because people who engage in sports and hobbies do not abuse alcohol.
6. Banning alcohol will lead to loss of income and source of livelihood to people working in this industry. Many people work in alcohol production, distribution and retail selling shops. They will lose their job. The government will have to rehabilitate them and some people who are specialized in this field will have to either find jobs outside India or learn new skills. All this is avoidable by vigilant law enforcement and quantity control.
7. Banning alcohol will lead to loss of income to the government and that too from a source on which it can raise taxes. The alcohol drinkers will never protest against the government. Thus, most States in India have not banned alcohol. On the other hand, due to Covid-19 pandemic most sources of revenue have dried up due to lockdown. It means less money in the treasury and thus less money to spend on welfare schemes. Alcohol sale in Orange & Green Zones has brought in some revenue to the Govt.
8. Alcohol is a commodity; alcoholism is a problem. Banning is a tool for arbitrary governance. Just because a few people are killed by knives, we do not ban knives because they help people kill. Hence, a ban on alcohol is uncalled for.

Drinking alcohol should be illegal throughout India:

1. The consequences of alcohol misuse are serious in many cases, life-threatening. Heavy drinking can increase the risk of certain cancers, especially those of the liver. It can also cause liver cirrhosis, immune system problems and brain damage etc. Hence, drinking alcohol should be illegal throughout India.
2. I agree to point number two by my friend who supports legalizing alcohol in India. but a later research by Brennan et al found that heavy drinkers who drank for social reasons were more prone to later problem drinking than heavy drinkers who drank to cope with personal problems. Thus, there is evidence that both social and coping motives for consuming alcohol can lead to heavy drinking. There is also evidence, however, that social motives for consuming alcohol can lead to heavy drinking.
3. The prohibition established in some States like Gujarat & Bihar, generates organized crime and home brew alcohol, because the government decision is unpopular and the mafia take advantage of it, making illegal alcohol or transporting in from other states in order to provide alcohol to a wide market of people who in spite of the prohibition tried to get alcohol by any means. Banning alcohol will make it illegal. That means costly, no quality checks, smuggling will be on the rise again. 
4. People who drink heavily get themselves run over or cause accidents by driving themselves. It is unfortunate and dangerous so drinking alcohol should be illegal.
5. Alcohol consumption reduces the potential of people to work effectively and professionally. which will ultimately lead to financial difficulties. Alcohol consumption is more problematic in poorer section of the society. Prohibition will save many poor households.
6. Drinking gives birth to a large number of crimes and it definitely should be banned if one wishes his society to be almost free of crimes and irresponsible behavior. In forty percent of cases involving “crimes of harassment and violence”, it has been seen that either the victim or the aggressor was under influence of alcohol. In addition, various studies have established a direct connection between domestic abuse and alcoholism. 
7. A lot of drugs are illegal. Similarly, alcohol which has similar effect on human mind should also be illegal. Drugs get you high, and alcohol gets you drunk. Pretty much the same thing. In case of “banned drugs” quantity of drug allowed to be abused does not matter because if we take that banned drug in miniscule amount it will not make the abuser lose his senses fully.