The social welfare measures being implemented by elected governments are not having the desired effect due to growing alcohol addiction, said the representatives of Chaitanya Sravanthi and social workers.

The women staged a protest opposite the Visakha Women’s College on Saturday, demanding a ban on liquor with effect from Independence Day.

They said that several families were slipping below the poverty line as men were neglecting their families and spending a major part of their income on alcohol. The purpose of welfare schemes was being defeated as a result of this and their economic position was not improving due to addiction.

Dubious distinction

According to a WHO Report issued in 2014, 38.3% of the people all over the world were consuming alcohol. Of them 11% were indulging in excessive drinking. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, 15 persons in India were dying every day due to alcohol addiction.

Andhra Pradesh has achieved the dubious distinction of having 5.5% of youngsters consuming alcohol, which was the highest in South India. They demanded inclusion of liquor in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act to control consumption.

Later, the women under the leadership of Chaitanya Sravanthi chairperson Shirin Rehaman, paid tributes to the Gandhi statue near GVMC.