Alcohol Abuse Rises in Mizoram After New Law

NEW DELHI: As many as 33 people have been sentenced and either fined or jailed for drunken driving or creating nuisance in public places in Mizoram hardly a week after the newly-legislated liquor law in the state was implemented.

Although the new liquor law has legally permitted consumption and sale of alcohol in the state, but at the same time, has some stringent rules in place for those caught drunk without permits, driving under the influence or creating nuisance in public.

On Tuesday alone, at least 19 people were sentenced to community service, fined or jailed under the aforementioned provisions of the new law.

With this sentencing, the total number of people having been punished under the strictly-enforced new law has climbed to thirty-three.

Interestingly, the sale of alcohol in the state is yet not permitted legally and will only begin in the first week of March, albeit, consumption has been allowed.

The Aizawl district court, yesterday, sentenced five people to a month in jail, punished five others to three days community service and fined two others Rs 1,000 each, complying with the new Mizoram Liquor Prohibition & Control (MLPC) Act 2014, which ended the 17-year old ban on drinking in the State.

Additionally, in the western districts of Mamit and Kolasib also, seven people were sentenced to perform community service for being drunk.

Earlier, Mamit district court had convicted two men to six months in jail and fined Rs 500 each on Monday. In Aizwal as well , five men were sentenced to three days of community service while a sixth was sentenced to a month in prison, the very same day.

Even last week on Friday, just a day after the new law came into force, five people had been sentenced to perform three days of community service each while one was fined Rs 1000 after being arrested for driving under the influence of liquor.

The police, traffic department and excise and narcotics personnel continue to actively conduct breath-analyser tests on drivers, especially of public transport vehicles such as taxis, maxi-cabs and buses, a government statement read.