Church in Goa wants curbs on drugs, alcohol

(June 29, 2011) Authorities in Goa have been were urged to take drastic action to combat growing alcohol and drug abuse in the western Indian state. In a statement on Monday coinciding with the U.N.’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, Goa’s Diocesan Council for Social Justice and Peace demanded curbs on the sale of alcohol and illicit drugs. The drug menace has spread inland from the coastal belt, said the council, the social wing of the local Catholic Church. Fr. Maverick Fernandes, the council’s executive secretary, said the state’s failure to impose curbs on illicit drugs and consumption of alcohol has been a major cause of trauma in families, and has resulted in a number of drug-related deaths amongst tourists.
The rising number of road accidents, drownings and anti-social activity resulting from alcohol and drug abuse is earning a bad name for the state and making life more difficult for ordinary citizens, said the priest. He criticized the government and the private sector for only looking at profit, while failing to provide sufficient support systems for the recovery of addicts. The council demanded more “detoxic centers” and the setting up of dedicated help-lines and after-care centers for guidance and therapeutic support. The Church also urged the public to work towards discouraging the consumption of alcohol at public functions and promote a healthy culture.