After smoking, Ramadoss now wants curbs on alcohol

CHENNAI: After a ban on smoking in public places, Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss is now eyeing the bottle. A National policy on alcohol cont rol will soon be implemented in the country, Ramadoss said.

He said consultation with experts have begun but refused to elaborate. "On weekends in cities like Bangalore and Chennai even women are going on smoking and drinking binge. It's a dangerous trend. We'll have to intervene and regulate the system," he said. Ramadoss hoped the WHO would soon designate October 2 as the global prohibition day. "Alcohol consumption poses a grave threat to India, the nation with 600 million people less than 30 years of age," he said.

"The Constitution mandates all states to exercise prohibition but except J&K and Gujarat none of the states follow it. Prohibition is a state subject, I would urge all state governments to enforce to total prohibition."