KOCHI: Kochi is gearing up for the Christmas-New Year festival season with a host of indoor and outdoor events. Mindful of the possible alcohol abuse in parties hosted by school students at hotels and resorts, the excise department has put such events on their watchlist.
The department has served notices on hotels, resorts, and bars alerting them about such parties with a strict warning that alcohol should not be served to anyone under 23 years of age. According to Ernakulam Excise Deputy Commissioner K K Anil Kumar, the agency has identified two such parties for which spaces at luxurious hotels and resorts in Kochi were booked.
“One party that we had identified was canceled after the parents came to know about it. Another hosted by a set of school students will be held in the coming days and we will be monitoring the event. There are possibilities of similar parties at more hotels and resorts in Kochi and other parts of the district. We are regularly collecting details of events held at hotels and resorts in wake of Christmas-New Year celebrations,” he said.
The excise has asked all hotels and resorts to ensure Covid protocol strictly during parties. Also, event organisers must ensure that drugs are not used during the parties. The department said legal action would be initiated against violators.
“These parties are hosted by senior secondary-level school students. Mostly, parents and school authorities are unaware of such parties as friends and classmates will mostly be sharing the expenses,” he said. Meanwhile, the department has seen a spike in cases booked under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
“We have also registered Abkari cases for brewing arrack illegally. Vehicle checking at all entry points has been enhanced after finding an increased inflow of drugs and narcotics substances from other states. The intelligence gathering is also upped to curtail drug peddling and abuse incidents,” an excise officer said.