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Alcoholism is Problem
in Goa
PANJIM, JUNE 7 – Sunita Naik
is in her mid-thirties but life ahead is too grim for her. She has the
responsibility of raising two children. Her husband drowned in alcoholism,
died last year — his body was found in rotten state in the bushes on the
outskirts of the village.
Ramkrishna Bicholkar is
very talented, working as an officer in a central government organisation.
His company demoted him when his absence from work became more frequent
thanks to his drinking habit. He disappears without informing any body.
His wife has been so fed-up with his disappearing act that she has literally
given up on him.
Babli Matkar who drank very
heavily, had made life miserable for his wife and five children. Whenever
he came home drunk, his children rushed to neighbour’s house, to escape
from his abuse and beating. He burnt his own house on two occasions while
under the influence of alcohol. He died recently of liver cirrhosis.
These are not isolated cases
of alcohol abuse in Goa but they are everyday happenings in many of the
Goan homes.
Alcoholism is a big social
problem and needs to be tackled before more homes are destroyed, warns
a long-time member of the Alcohol Anonymous (AA) in Goa. He suggested that
the State Government should stop issuing licences for new alcohol shops
as easy accessibility is one of the reasons why Goan lads catch up with
drinking habit, early.
This small State with a
population of about 15 lakh has 10,000 plus alcohol shops. According to
traffic police, there is spurt in the cases of drunk driving.
“Many accidents have been
caused because of riding/driving in inebriated state, however, we would
not allow this,” says Arvind Gawas, Superintendent of Police, Traffic.
The department has recently
procured more alco-meters to detect and prevent alcohol related accidents.
Of the total 4630 deaths
reported in Goa Medical College (GMC), Bambolim, during last two years,
423 deaths (9.14 per cent) were related to alcohol related diseases, said
Dr R G W Pinto, Prof & head of the Pathology department.. |
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