Adulterated Toddy Emerges as a Silent Killer in Kerala

Swift Summary

• Adulteration of Toddy: Over 95% of toddy sold in Telangana is reportedly laced with hazardous sedatives such as alprazolam, diazepam, and chlordiazepoxide.
• geographical Discrepancy: Despite limited toddy trees in areas like Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda, over 200 toddy shops operate there. Similarly, districts like Mahabubnagar and Nizamabad report more shops than trees.
• Scale of the Issue: There are over 5,000 toddy shops across Telangana; many lack valid licenses for making or selling toddy. Authorities equate selling spiked toddy to narcotics trafficking due to the NDPS Act treating benzodiazepines on par with drugs like cocaine.
• Call for Action: Officials have demanded immediate government intervention and treatment of this issue as a medical emergency. Concerns were raised about cooperative societies running adulterated liquor operations unchecked.
• Previous Cases: Inconsistent government response noted despite prior incidents such as raids in 2023 that revealed all tested samples were adulterated or mass hospitalizations linked to spiked toddy last month.
• Health Impact: Toddy’s adulteration has led to severe health consequences for addicts-including symptoms like diarrhoea-linked to its toxic ingredients.

!Adulterated Toddy

Indian Opinion Analysis

The widespread sale of chemically adulterated toddy lays bare systemic gaps in regulatory oversight by relevant authorities in Telangana’s alcohol sector. The imbalance between the number of licensed stores versus available natural resources (toddy trees) strongly suggests artificial production methods driven by profit motives rather than enduring practices.

Equating laced-toddy sales under the NDPS framework highlights its severity but underscores an enforcement lapse where neither commercial operations nor cooperative bodies face adequate penalties so far. Government silence on recurring public health crises – including recent hospitalizations – exacerbates community vulnerability and health risks tied directly to substance abuse through manipulated traditional beverages.

Proactively addressing these concerns through stricter regulations for licensing vendors while prioritizing public health campaigns against consumption could support healthier community outcomes within affected regions.

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