‘If you’re under 25 then you are not allowed to drink.’ That’s the new law the Maharashtra state government has decided to introduce. But surprisingly, 22-year-old Rishi Dange (name changed) is delighted to hear this news.
by Gayatri Parameswaran
“I know better now” Rishi asserts with certainty. He has his reasons.
Photo by Kripa Foundation
As a 15-year-old, when Rishi had his first drink, little did he realise what he was getting into. What started as teenage fun with friends led to alcohol and drug addiction.
“I was drunk all the time and I wasted the formative years of my life. Nothing good ever came out of it.” He laments
Rishi has been undergoing rehabilitation at the Mumbai-based Kripa Foundation for the past year.
“I was completely lost. I had no sense or focus. But all that changed when I decided to seek help. For the first time in many years, I feel like I have my feet on the ground,” he says with optimism.
Rishi partly blames his addiction on the easy availability of alcohol.
“I could get booze whenever I wanted. No shopkeeper or bar owner ever asked for my ID. They didn’t care if I was underage. Selling liquor was their job and they did it without worrying about rules and regulations,” he complains.Rishi believes that things would not have gone so wrong had there been stricter legislation in place.
“If I’d been refused drink in the first place, hearing a NO would have discouraged me and I feel I would have given up after trying a few times.”
And that is why Rishi wants the new law to be implemented, he explains.
“I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what I did at such a young age. One wrong step and it’s a long trip downhill. I regret not having a career like others my age. I can’t afford to have fancy ambitions any more. A lot of valuable time has been lost. It cannot be retrieved.”
“So if such a law can keep youngsters away from self-destruction, why not introduce it?” Rishi demands.
At the same time, he understands that it may sound bizarre to stop people under 25 from drinking for the sake of a tiny minority that is likely to get addicted.
“It’s fun for young people to enjoy a drink once in a while. That’s how I started and look what state I am in today. The wounds I carry are too deep for me to accept that there’s even a possibility for a youngster to know his limit.”
However, when it comes to the law in practice, Rishi has his doubts.
“We often hear the government talk about a lot of laws being passed but when it comes to implementation, they rarely succeed. I am afraid this legislation, if passed, might also end up like many others that have preceded it.”
on May 14th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
I believe that if at the age of 18 you are eligible to vote and choose your leader, you should also be considered old enough and mature to make the other choices in your life.
Secondly as the case study in this story demonstrates, the issue is not the legal drinking age, the issue is the implementation of the law. The boy in the report was 15 when he started drinking, because as he says no one refused him. That is something that can happen even if the drinking age is increased to thirty or forty-five. SO do not think that this proposed amendment is a feasible option to reduce alcohol addiction or abuse. What is needed is strict implementation of the existing law.
on May 24th, 2010 at 10:59 am
very useful post !
on Jul 19th, 2010 at 4:20 am
drug addiction is really a very bad problem of the society, it destroys the life of a person:-.
on Oct 22nd, 2010 at 6:51 pm
i had a friend who is a drug addict and he was able to recover from it. now he is drug free”.,