Ban of Alcohol: Boon or Bane?

The United Theological College - Bangalore

Interdisciplinary Paper

Title: Ban of Alcohol: Boon or Bane?

Presented by S. Sam Sathish Kumar & Vinod Shemron                  Presented on 31-10-14

Introduction

We as a group went to CSI Madhya Kerala Diocese for our intensive field education this year. During our stay we had visited the various works of the diocese, especially the three native mission centers of the diocese namely Kuttanadu Mission, Malayora Mission and Thota Pradesha Mission. It was at this time that the State Government of Kerala had implemented the ban on alcohol in the state, but has allowed the bars to function only in five-star hotels. “The most frustrating or dangerous trend that we all have been noticing was that the average age of initiating has been reduced from 19 to 13.5 years now. There is an increase in the number of young drinking population especially adolescents and youth,” said Johnson J Edayarnmula, Director, ADIC (Alcohol and Drug Information Centre – India).[1]

The Kerala Government claims that a strict ban will also reduce crime rates and make the streets safer for women. “Such a decision can be taken only this way, otherwise a search committee, expert committee will be formed. So many such reports are pending before the Government and no action has been taken on that. The UDF Government took a conscious decision to save the future generation to come. We are coming down heavily on the drug mafia which is exploiting the younger generation,” said Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala.[2]

The Congress-led United Democratic Front Government has decided to make Kerala an alcohol-free state in 10 years. There has been lot of debate going on regarding this matter. The decision was taken by the Government with an objective of preventing people from becoming addicted to alcohol, becoming alcoholics, doing harm to their lives and of others as well, especially among the labour class.[3] There were a large number of alcohol consumers standing in a long queue to purchase alcohol during the Onam season. Therefore we have taken the ban of alcohol as the issue and have analyzed it and we have dealt the issue from the Biblical and Christian Ethical perspectives.

Case

We visited Maniyaar which comes under the Thota Pradesha Mission where we met Mr. Prasad[4] who was 43-years-old and he was working in the local private bar as an attender. He is married to Ms. Rani Mol[5], who is working as a laborer in a rubber factory. They have two girl children stdying in grade 8 and 10.

The Kerala Government had passed an order banning the sale of liquor at bars and hotels below the five-star category and the ban order was supposed to come into force on Sep 11^th but was later pushed to September 30^th. Kerala has a total of 730 bars; of which licenses of 418 were renewed this fiscal year while the remaining 312 will have to shut down at the earliest under the new policy. From the next fiscal year, only the five-star hotels in the state will serve liquor. Also, from Oct 2 this year, all Sunday's will be dry days. Out of the 383 state-owned retail liquor shops, of which 10 percent will close down each year.[6]

When asked about the effects of the ban, Mr. Prasad responded aggressively that the ban on alcohol would affect many lives, especially those who are employed in the bars and other related industries.[7] He also states that “I along with my friends drink regularly, but after the ban how can we afford to buy liquor from star hotels when our wages are comparatively low. To reach the nearest five-star hotel we have to travel for nearly two hours, and also pay a high price for the liquor, which we cannot afford.” In a short conversation with his wife, she appreciates the ban by the Government but at the same time, she is worried about the future of the children, as it would be hard for her husband to adapt or to get another type of job. Therefore we came to a conclusion to look at the ban of alcohol as an issue that affects the livelihood of many families.

Methodology

We have primarily used interview method to collect data with the help of the Church Worker and also a short conversation with the congregation members, Mr. Prasad and his wife Ms. Rani Mol. Since the issue is very recent one, we have relied on internet as our secondary source. We have also made use of few monographs from the UTC library to substantiate our argument.

Case Analysis

Effects of Alcoholism

Social Issue: Alcoholism is defined as a habitual intoxication; prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks leading to a breakdown in health.^[8] Alcohol is the term we use for ethanol, the substance suitable for humans to drink. Another form of alcohol is methanol and it is toxic to humans. Alcohol is the result of combining food substances like grapes or barley with sugar and yeast and allowing them to ferment. People around the globe consume alcohol in various forms and within various cultural settings. But although alcohol is used the world over, it is also commonly misused or abused. Whenever and wherever it occurs, the abuse of alcohol has deleterious effects on the abuser, those close to him/her and to the wider society.[9]

The damaging effects of alcohol abuse are not limited to the person and to those living closest to them. Alcohol abuse is linked to many social ills which affect people otherwise unconnected to the drinker. There is a clear connection between alcohol abuse and higher rates of workplace absenteeism. Abuse of alcohol is also linked to higher rates of violent crime in neighbourhoods. Because alcohol impairs good judgment, it is often connected to risky sexual activity. Finally, alcohol is involved in a majority of automobile accidents. Alcohol, or ethanol, may not be as toxic as methanol to the human body, but it is still damaging to everyone intimately or remotely connected to the one who abuses it.[10] The prevalent type of alcoholism is that in which there is an attempt to escape the realities and problems of living by the excessive use of alcohol. From the point of view of public health, efforts should be made to help individuals suffering from this illness to meet the realities of living through education, example and support.[11]

Economical Issues: Alcoholic beverages normally serve both the interest of public health and welfare, and simultaneously gain extra revenue for the Government. States derive as much as 25% of their annual budgetary revenue from the sales of alcohol. Duties on alcohol constitute as much as 23% of some Indian states’ revenues. Household expenditure studies found that many families are spending about 3%–45% of their income on alcohol. Besides the generation of legal revenues for the Government, the alcohol industry is thought to create an approximately equal sum in ‘black money’. In Kerala, revenues and tax from alcohol account for 22 per cent of the state's income. [12]

Kerala has always been a must-visit destination for foreign tourists who visit India. The state offers everything in a package such as backwater cruises, Ayurveda and a moderate climate to boot. Fort Kochi, Allepey, Kovalam etc cater entirely to foreign tourists where they get everything they need a touch of Kerala in a western ambience, in the comforts of luxurious hotels and cafes. It is no wonder that though the foreign tourists contribute only less than 10% of the total number of tourists visiting Kerala, their stays are longer, and the revenue they generate is more than 25%, which comes to a whopping 5000 crores a year in foreign exchange. Most foreign tourists are from countries with cooler climates and prefer chilled beverages, say those in the hospitality industry. Their preferred drink is beer, not hard liquor. Around 11.30-12 in the morning, when the heat goes up, they have a beer or two, which is like a routine for them. And with dinner, most tourists prefer wine as an accompaniment. All this applies to both genders.[13] This way we see that the liquor industry influences the economy of the state, though an irony where it on one side uses this income to enhance lives of many and on the other hand deprives livelihood of many families.

Familial Issues: Although most people abuse alcohol because it makes them feel better about themselves, the truth is that over-use of alcohol tends to negatively impact the abuser’s personality. They argue and fight, call each other names, try to get even for all the hurt they have suffered. The home becomes a battleground. Increased irritability, poor judgment and reasoning are just a few of ways that alcohol damages the human personality and relationships by extension. The abuse of alcohol is behind as much as 40 percent of instances of serious domestic violence.[14] Alcoholism is attributable to verbal and physical abuse of the spouse and the children and carries a great responsibility for the break-up of marriages. Children living in the home with an alcoholic person are affected in various ways. At times directly hurt by the alcoholic person’s behaviour, especially if they are violent. The children end up with lower grades, higher rates of depression and frequently feel socially isolated.[15]

Psycho-Medical Issues: The most basic human instinct is for survival and the most basic drive is pleasure or the satisfaction of human appetites whether for food, drink or sex. Each of us have innate restlessness in the pursuit of something better, more perfect and more complete. This restlessness is fed by hope. If hope dies, depression is never far away, the spirit is crushed, energy melts and life seems to have no purpose. When people cannot find rewarding work and feel their existence is meaningless, a chemical or liquid cosh to anaesthetize against reality becomes very attractive.[16]

Alcoholism can cause signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and antisocial behaviour, both during intoxication and during withdrawal. At times, these symptoms and signs cluster, last for weeks, and mimic frank psychiatric disorders (i.e., are alcohol–induced syndromes). These alcohol–related conditions usually disappear after several days or weeks of abstinence. Prematurely labelling these conditions as major depression, panic disorder, schizophrenia, and so on, can lead to misdiagnosis and inattention to an alcoholic person’s principal problem, the alcohol abuse or dependence. With knowledge of the different courses and prognoses of alcohol–induced psychiatric disorders, an understanding of the gloomy independent disorders one needs to rule out, an organized approach to diagnosis, ample collateral information, and practice, however, the clinician can improve diagnostic accuracy in this challenging patient population.[17]

Consequences of Banning Alcohol

Economic Aftermath: The proposals include shutting down of bars and shops which sell alcohol and introducing 'alcohol-free days'. Only luxury, five-star hotels will be allowed to serve alcohol in a bid to tackle the state's drinking problem. Tour operators specialising in Kerala holidays are concerned that the proposals are already affecting their business. When the ban goes ahead it will affect tourism on a huge scale. It will put small hotels out of business and the five star hotels will increase their prices even more. The numbers of foreign tourists visiting Kerala jumped by 8 per cent last year, but many feel that this may fall drastically if the move goes ahead.[18]

Kerala has the highest consumption of alcohol in India at more than eight litres per person annually. Kerala Government announced to close all 730 bars in the state, allowing only five-star hotels to have the bars from April 2015 – 418 bars have been closed already since April and licence for the 312 bars will not be renewed after 31 March 2015. Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC) runs 337 liquor shops which are open on all days; each liquor shop is catering for around an amazing 80,000 clients also would be phased out.[19]

According to Shashi Taroor, “Excise duties on liquor are a vital source of income for the state Government, accounting for 22% of Kerala's revenues, another 26% depends on tourism, both domestic and foreign. In addition, much of Kerala's economic viability depends upon attracting foreign investors, especially into the knowledge and services sectors, where the quality of life available in the state had to be a major draw (IT professionals in Bangalore tend to flock to that city's bars and pubs after their long hours on the job). It had been widely assumed that, morality aside, Kerala simply could not afford to do without widely, conveniently-available, and heavily-taxed liquor.”[20]

Familial Struggles: Due to the imposition of the ban on the closure of bars, many have lost their jobs; this in turn has affected the families badly. The economy of the family is struck hard by this imposition. There are families like that of Mr. Prasad that were relying on the earnings they get in working in the bar. Tharoor notes that “Bar workers and distillery employees, some 20,000 across the state, will be thrown out of work; they and their families will soon be clamouring for relief, in a state with levels of unemployment so high that lakhs of Keralites go outside the state each year looking for work.”^[21] Kerala Mahila Congress vice president said that the government is not worried about revenue loss as of now as they are spending more on the problems that are emerging in the state due to alcoholism. The basic aim is to solve the problem of alcoholism, which is leading to other problems like domestic violence, anti-social events, accidents, including severe health problems and deaths. Ban on alcohol is a step to make the state better and more prosperous in due course of time.[22]

Social Issues: A common result of prohibition is a disproportionate effect on the poor, who are more likely to drink potentially unsafe or even deadly drinks, and more vulnerable to the black market that inevitably explodes when prohibition kicks in. In Kerala, anti-prohibition campaigners fear that alcohol tax revenue that currently flows into social projects to help alcoholics will instead line the pockets of criminal gangs and corrupt officials.[23]

There is a section of political leaders and citizens across different platforms who are totally against prohibition. According to them, when India is rapidly progressing towards economic growth, banning is not a solution of problems. Whoever wants to drink will get a bottle from somewhere. It will in fact increase bootlegging. Alcohol consumption is not a crime. Rather steps should be taken to stop alcohol abuse, to make people aware of the evil effects of alcoholism. Prohibition is no solution.[24]

The Response of the Church

“It should be pointed out, though, that however counter-intuitive this issue might seem, the decision has been widely hailed across the state. The influential Christian churches (all seven denominations of the Biblical faith) have applauded loudly, as have the political parties identified with the Christian community. Working-class women, despairing of their feckless and bibulous husbands, have hailed the decision, as have traditionalists, Gandhians and assorted moralists, of which our country has no shortage. No public figure of any consequence in Kerala has stood up to oppose the decision” says Tharoor.[25]

During a public rally organized on Habel Day[26], the Bishop of the Madhya Kerala Diocese openly challenged the political parties saying, “No political party can survive if they try to touch the church.” This was said in a context when certain Hindu groups challenged the Government to ban the use of wine in the church, as it also contains alcohol. The church has taken a very moral stand in this issue but being very judgemental on the people who consume alcohol. Clinebell opines that “Alcoholism is a sickness which is caused by a combination of factors involving both sin and sickness.” The goal of the church must always be that of voluntary abstinence; otherwise, it cannot be vocational abstinence – a witness to a wise way of life. If one cannot accept total abstinence as his/her Christian vocation, then the decision must be made in the light of the facts and not from social pressure or temporary impulses.[27]

During festivities like Easter, Christmas and New Year when the sales of alcohol are high, it is the Christians who ravage the liquor market giving whooping sales for the liquor industry. The church, however, is in strong support of the ban imposed by the Government, but by standing with the ban the church is being hypocritical. This also portrays a different picture to the outside world saying, that the church has no control over its own people rather asking the Government to impose a law to control the behaviour of people. The church has failed to address the issue of alcoholism within its boundaries through various means of counselling and other prevention measures. The church has disguised itself as an angel to support the ban of alcoholism in the state, without realizing the subtle transaction of authority from the church to the Government and also demonising the lives of many who lose out due to the ban of alcohol in the state.

Perspectives

Christian Ethical perspective – Vinod Shemron S

In India, there has been not much of a serious reflection on the ethics of alcoholism. However it is our task to reflect on our experiences is such areas and evolve new frameworks to analyse the issue. I understand the limitation that this cannot be done by an individual with limited experience, but done as a collective effort. However I have attempted to deal with this issue in the Christian Ethical perspective.

Moralism Rejected

The attitude of the church and the wider society in India towards the issues related to alcohol can be characterised by moralism. The moralistic approach of regarding drinking as a matter of ‘sin’ has not completely helped in addressing the issue. It actually distorts the meaning of sin itself. Anyone who has the experience with alcoholic people will know that there are several factors involved in contributing to the issues related to alcohol. It is easy to call names, fix labels, or look down on the people with different behaviour without making an attempt to understand the emotional social cultural factors that have made him/her succumb to such behaviour. A responsible ethical probing on this issue must forego and reject the moralistic view. It should rather be probing into the cultural, social, and other conditions that probe the person to generate this behaviour.[28] The abolishing of alcohol will not cater to the upliftment of the society or the eradication of the problem rather contributes to harsher repercussions. Hence our idea must be based on the removal of the root causes to help the person for a better livelihood.

Dominance of the Elite

We can see the society in which we live in, is being dominated by the minority elite who for the want of power make sure that the others are exploited just to make adequate or selfish benefits for themselves. The dominant have not only pushed the masses to the margins, away from the decision-making process but also made failed to address their problems such as poverty, economic inequality, rising prices etc. Today’s economic power is in the hands of a very few. This faulty economic system is obviously the result of the decisions made in the political realm which again is in the hands of the dominant.

Alcoholic behaviour can be seen in the light of the social and cultural roots. It is commonly known that a person who consumes alcohol expresses ‘freely’ the repressed feelings. The person is temporarily free to rebel against authority. Those who counsel with an alcoholic person would know that a considerable amount of aggression is projected on the ‘authority figures’ in general. For instance in a rural setting it is projected on to the landlord or the upper-caste and other dominant sections. Liquor places become the only place where masses can ‘freely’ vent to their feelings of hostility toward the forces that dominate them.

Hence the primary concern should be the removal of the unjust structures, to help the elevation of the quality of life of the people providing them reasonable security and well-being. Here however, I do not suggest that the economic development would enhance the living of the people, at the same time I affirm that any conflict situation like social, cultural, economic etc, aggravates the destructive potential of such behaviour.

‘Sin’ of Alcoholism

In what way do we say that drinking is a sin or a sinful act? We tend to identify ‘sin’ with some acts contrary to our moral norms. Therefore, the don’ts like: don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t do this or don’t do that, has become the standard of spiritual life, but ‘sin has a deeper meaning. It represents an attitude that keeps us away from God and the people around us into a mode of self-centeredness. The closed life that is incapable of relating to God or with fellow human beings is a sinful life. Even non-drinkers and even religious people are prone to that kind of life (a life of retreating). Therefore singling-out alcoholism as a ‘sin’ is taking a very judgemental attitude to it.

I am conscious of the consequences of drinking and also brand alcoholism in the list of forces that thwart God’s gift of life. But my point is that in our attitude towards the alcoholic person, we tend to overlook the factors that make the person. He/she must not be treated as an immoral person rather a person with an illness who needs help.

Ministerial Perspective – Sam Sathish Kumar. S

In the Biblical world the term leper was ostracized. In our world, the alcoholic is a type of leper. It has also become a myth that nice people do not become alcoholic although they have anxieties, depression or nerves. It happens to the poor, the unemployed and the least sections of the society. It is considered as a moral weakness, a sin for a very long time. It may well be that alcoholism is rooted in self-centeredness and self-deception, but that liability is not a monopoly of the alcoholic. The alcoholic is eventually locked into a narrow, isolated world is a tragedy, but not necessarily more sinful than greed or hypocrisy or fear.[29]

Alcoholism is an illness; it is the consequence of the deliberate wrong exercise of the human will. It is an area in which the force of death is at work. We, Christians, who are witnesses to Christ, are committed to continue this ministry of healing and liberation in the face of the struggle of humans against the force of sin and death and restoring them to life of abundance in Christ. The people whom Christ loves are drawn to a path leading to destruction. Neither the individual alone nor the family are solely responsible for this malady but frequently other influences beyond control in the structure of society are also responsible. A person who becomes alcoholic, therefore, stands in need of help, concern, love and understanding. It is the task of the church to reach out to them compassionately that they may be liberated and made whole.[30]

The Christian response to the alcoholism should be to view the alcoholic persons, as they were, through the eyes of Jesus Christ and to present Christ as the One who can deliver the addict from the binding evil power; be the full effective answer to their needs and give them a new goal, direction, dynamic and satisfaction for their living. The Christian attitude to the alcoholic persons should be one of loving concern, understanding and compassion, as that of our Christ who confronted people with their sins, but loved them and forgave them and healed them. The church can help the alcoholic persons to change their attitude and thinking, a renewal of the mind by providing new values and systems. Thus the new way of life involves the setting of new goals, direction and life-style which leads to wholeness and wholesomeness and becoming a new creature in Christ.[31] The first and the most important task of the church is to have an accurate knowledge of the nature of alcoholism and people who are affected by that. The church should make the alcoholic person admit that he/she has no control/power over alcohol and has to come to realize that their life has become unmanageable. Most of the alcoholic persons will deny that alcohol is a problem, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. One or more crises may be inevitable before the alcoholic person is even willing to consider the possibility that alcohol is a problem. It takes a kind of “tough love” both to induce the alcoholic to seek treatment and to give appropriate pastoral support after the alcoholic has sought treatment.[32]

An inclusive church cannot exist with a rigid ethic. There is a voluntary surrender of some pleasure for a higher good or the avoidance of an evil which overweighs the good – this is known as the Christian virtue of sobriety. It can be practiced in two ways: by total abstinence from alcohol beverage for supernatural motives, and by true moderation in the use of alcoholic beverages for the same motives. The rapidly changing, confused world which surrounds the church causes real problems for Christians who seek to take ethical counsel with those who are constantly on the move. Jesus talked far more about the sins of the spirit than the sins of the flesh, but somehow modern-day Christians have reversed the order. The education program of the church must deepen the theological and ethical base and utilize the scientific facts about alcohol. The program of the church directed toward the prevention of drinking should involve steps of educating the youth and students, training workers to deal with alcoholic persons and should challenge the parents to be the models for their children. The church also needs to crate Para-Church Groups within or outside the church which can foster fellowships of mutual trust. It should provide basic understanding of why people drink, the scientific facts of alcohol and the basis for making an ethical decision. There is no magic panacea which will cure the world’s ills, but the churches have the message and know enough to begin. Jesus Christ gave the answer, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” but the church lacks the blueprint for putting this word of truth into action.[33] Therefore the church has to initiate projects and programs to enhance the lives of people and not by standing with dominant moral ban like in Kerala.

Bibliography

------- Hope for Children of Alcoholics. USA: Alateen Publications, 1992.

Bergendoff, Conrad. Pastoral Care for Alcoholism: An Introduction. USA: Hazelden Foundation, 1981.

Blane, Howard and Kenneth, Leonard, eds. Psychological Theories of Drinking and Alcoholism. New York: Guilford Press, 1987.

Block, Marvin. Alcoholism: Its Facets and Phases. USA: John Day Company, 1962.

Dixon, Patrick. The Truth About Drugs. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1998.

Garmon S, William. The Many Faces of Ethyl. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1966.

Lawton, Kenneth, et al., eds., The Christian Response to Alcohol and Drug Problem. Bangalore: Ecumenical Christian Centre, 1983.

Webliography

http://english.manoramaonline.com/my-news/shutting-down-bars-or-liquor-ban-is-not-the-answer.html, accessed on 29.10.14

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http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-2/90-98.htm, accessed on 28.10.14

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http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/could-alcohol-prohibition-work-in-kerala-9704977.html, accessed on 28.10.14

http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/society/ban-on-alcohol-is-it-the-preventive-solution-for-alcoholism, accesed on 29.10.14

http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/news/kerala/as-kerala-starts-going-dry-tourists-start-saying-bye-151658.html, accessed on 29.10.14

http://www.ndtv.com/article/opinion/the-risks-of-an-alcohol-ban-for-god-s-own-country-by-shashi-tharoor-584876, accessed on 28.10.14

https://in.news.yahoo.com/kerala-liquor-ban--sc-stays-licence-cancellations-till-sep-30-065543039.html, accessed on 28.10.14

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[1] http://ibnlive.in.com/news/can-the-liquor-prohibition-policy-work-in-kerala/497387-62-126.html, accessed on 28.10.14

[2]https://in.news.yahoo.com/kerala-liquor-ban--sc-stays-licence-cancellations-till-sep-30-065543039.html, accessed on 28.10.14

[3] http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/society/ban-on-alcohol-is-it-the-preventive-solution-for-alcoholism, accesed on 29.10.14

[4] Pseudoname

[5] Pseudoname

[6]https://in.news.yahoo.com/kerala-liquor-ban--sc-stays-licence-cancellations-till-sep-30-065543039.html, accessed on 28-10-2014

[7] According to Mr. Prasad, around 20,000 to 25,000 people would lose their job because of the ban

[8] According to Word Web Dictionary

[9] Marvin Block, Alcoholism: Its Facets and Phases (USA: John Day Company, 1962), 47

[10] Howard Blane and Kenneth Leonard, Eds., Psychological Theories of Drinking and Alcoholism (New York: Guilford Press, 1987), 131-135

[11] Marvin Block, Alcoholism: Its Facets and Phases, 43

[12] http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/society/ban-on-alcohol-is-it-the-preventive-solution-for-alcoholism, accesed on 29.10.14

[13] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2752310/It-s-madness-Judge-postpones-plan-ban-alcohol-Kerala-amid-fears-tourists-desert-country.html, accessed on 29.10.14

[14] ------- Hope for Children of Alcoholics (USA: Alateen Publications, 1992), 5-9

[15] ------- Hope for Children of Alcoholics, 7

[16] Patrick Dixon, The Truth About Drugs (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1998), 65-66

[17] http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-2/90-98.htm, accessed on 28.10.14

[18] http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/news/kerala/as-kerala-starts-going-dry-tourists-start-saying-bye-151658.html, accessed on 29.10.14

[19] http://english.manoramaonline.com/my-news/shutting-down-bars-or-liquor-ban-is-not-the-answer.html, accessed on 29.10.14

[20] http://www.ndtv.com/article/opinion/the-risks-of-an-alcohol-ban-for-god-s-own-country-by-shashi-tharoor-584876, accessed on 28.10.14

[21] http://www.ndtv.com/article/opinion/the-risks-of-an-alcohol-ban-for-god-s-own-country-by-shashi-tharoor-584876, accessed on 28.10.14

[22] http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/society/ban-on-alcohol-is-it-the-preventive-solution-for-alcoholism, accesed on 29.10.14

[23] http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/could-alcohol-prohibition-work-in-kerala-9704977.html, accessed on 28.10.14

[24] http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/society/ban-on-alcohol-is-it-the-preventive-solution-for-alcoholism, accesed on 29.10.14

[25] http://www.ndtv.com/article/opinion/the-risks-of-an-alcohol-ban-for-god-s-own-country-by-shashi-tharoor-584876, accessed on 28.10.14

[26] The occasion of celebration of the first Dalit convert in Kerala

[27] William S. Garmon, The Many Faces of Ethyl (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1966), 99, 125

[28] Kenneth Lawton, Jonathan Gnanadason and K.V. Mathew, eds., The Christian Response to Alcohol and Drug Problem (Bangalore: Ecumenical Christian Centre, 1983), 133

[29] Conrad Bergendoff, Pastoral Care for Alcoholism: An Introduction (USA: Hazelden Foundation, 1981), 1-2

[30] Kenneth Lawton, Jonathan Gnanadason and K.V. Mathew, eds., The Christian Response to Alcohol and Drug Problem, 199

[31] Kenneth Lawton, Jonathan Gnanadason and K.V. Mathew, eds., The Christian Response to Alcohol and Drug Problem, 123-127

[32] Conrad Bergendoff, Pastoral Care for Alcoholism: An Introduction, 10-12

[33] William S. Garmon, The Many Faces of Ethyl (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1966), 44-49