Kerala liquor policy: Statistics on narcotics abuse exaggerated, claim KCBC

The KCBC had made it clear it will oppose any policy that promotes availability and consumption of liquor.

KOCHI: Sceptical of the LDF government’s explanations while articulating the new liquor policy, the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) maintains statistics showing increased narcotics abuse after liquor ban were exaggerated.

Archbishop M Susa Pakiam, president of the bishops council, had claimed the KCBC had statistics to prove that figures being disseminated were far from reality.

‘‘It’s a fact the figures are exaggerated. The KCBC has collected details of the cases and analysed the data. Though there has been an increase in the number of cases in which narcotic stuff was seized, on analysing the statistics, we could see it’s much lower than the quantity seized in previous years.

A considerable share of the cases are related to seizure of banned tobacco products,’’ KCBC deputy secretary Fr Varghese Vallikkattu told Express. He also urged the government to release the exact statistics on narcotics consumption in the state. The KCBC has already made it clear it will oppose any policy that promotes availability and  consumption of liquor.

“It is unfortunate the government is facilitating the interests of the liquor mafia, directly and indirectly,” it was observed at the monsoon conference of the KCBC that concluded at the weekend here.