Can consumers trust anything that they buy? That is the question many people are facing after at least 42 people died after drinking liquor spiked with excessive chemicals in Azamgarh. The death toll is expected to be higher as families often cremate the bodies of their loved ones without letting the police know first. The sad truth is that many people die everyday in India from drinking contaminated alcohol, which is often spiked to give it more of a "kick" and improve the flavor. In 2011, 169 people died from alcohol contamination. As this alcohol is technically illegal, legal justice is being violated here as merchants are knowingly selling consumers tainted beer and other drinks. The government of India has not cracked down on this illegal good which has taken the lives of many people in India. Unless they find a way to make sure that people's beverages are not contaminated, then the death toll due to this problem could rise dramatically in the next few years as alcohol becomes more prominent throughout popular culture.
Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24607227
Discussion Questions
1. It seems to be common knowledge across India that drinks at bars are tainted. Gujarat is one of the few states which has taken legal action against this problem by making it completely illegal. Why have more states not followed?
2. Even though people know of the effects of tainted alcohol, why do they still drink it?
Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24607227
Discussion Questions
1. It seems to be common knowledge across India that drinks at bars are tainted. Gujarat is one of the few states which has taken legal action against this problem by making it completely illegal. Why have more states not followed?
2. Even though people know of the effects of tainted alcohol, why do they still drink it?
I think that the reason why other states have not made alcohol completely illegal is because the states realize that they cannot force the production of alcohol to stop. If they were to just declare prohibition, many more people would feel inclined to drink alcohol since it would provide more of a rush to drink bootlegged alcohol. This is similar to what happened in the Roaring Twenties in America, as it was proven that prohibition is not a viable idea. Since alcohol cannot just be completely eliminated, I believe that the government should provide more social justice by creating strict regulations to make sure that alcoholic beverages are not spiked. It is the government's duty to look after the common good of the community, and at the moment, they are doing nothing to stop the high death toll from these contaminated drinks. Making sure that the spiking of alcohol is greatly decreased by citizens would provide very beneficial results for India.
ReplyDeleteDrinks being spiked even in America is a problem, and it is difficult for the government to stop this just as it is difficult to control smuggling of goods because it is an underground practice that does not get much attention. I think that other states have not created a law to regulate this because they do not consider it to be a priority. They consider it being harmless, although it obviously isn't. There should be harsher punishments for those caught spiking drinks to make it less of a "norm." The reason people may drink tainted alcohol is because there is this culture that comes with drinking of being "strong" and "resistant" to the effects of alcohol; somehow this makes someone more manly. This false idea that influences many people to binge drink may be the same reason many choose to drink tainted alcohol.
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