Toddy withdrawal symptoms aggravate

Adilabad district of Telangana is facing a big problem due to several incidents of habitual drinkers of toddy and liquor falling sick and nearly 20 persons including women died till now due to alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Even family members of the patients are experiencing this kind of situation for the first time.

Four habitual drinkers died in a single day in Nirmal town on Saturday and it shows the severity of the situation. Some of the habitual drinkers even committed suicide with the alcohol withdrawal symptoms.          

The incidents of habitual drinkers falling sick and behaving differently first reported in Kamole village in Bhainsa where villagers boycotted liquor in any form and its sales and later the incidents reported from Basar village where five persons died and nearly 400 habitual drinkers including women hospitalized.

Subsequently, 13 habitual drinkers died and large number of patients admitted to government and private hospital in Nirmal town and one habitual drinker died in Khanapur in the recent past.

This situation arose with the surprise raids on gudumba and adulterated toddy manufacturing centres and closing them by officials of excise department under the instruction from the state government just after reviewing its decision to introduce cheap liquor in the state.

The state government or district administration drew criticism from the people for not taking up any exercise to tackle the situation arise before going to crackdown adulterated toddy and gudumba. The officials concerned have failed in opening de-addiction centres to deal with the situation.            

Nirmal area hospital has become another Erragadda hospital where many patients are behaving differently and are admitted and tied to beds. According to medical experts, habitual drinkers are behaving differently as their body was not getting sufficient dose of drug though medicines to that of adulterated toddy.

Even, small dose of medicines Diazepam and Clonazepam tables proved to be futile being given to the habitual drinkers undergoing treatment at many government and private hospitals in the district. These tablets will be given to the patients suffering from anxiety, disorders alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

It is said that the toddy manufactures add certain drugs to toddy to ensure kick to the drinkers habituated to the adulated toddy over the years.

More number of adulterated toddy related deaths reported in slums where nearly 10,000 habitual drinkers and majority of them daily wage laborers living in the Nirmal town alone and their number was pegged at 50,000 in the Nirmal division.

prohibition hits habitual drinkers

Prohibition on liquor consumption and its sales in few villages has shown its impact on habitual drinkers while other people are at peace in the Adilabad district of Telangana.

Stopping consumption of liquor all of sudden by habituated drinkers as part of the prohibition drive caused health problems in many of them.

As many as 100 habituated drinkers fell sick as they had stopped consuming liquor obeying to the oath they had taken boycotting the consumption of liquor and its sales in Kamole village in Bhainsa mandal.

Villagers imposed prohibition on liquor consumption and sales in many villages across the district in the recent past just after the state governments’ move to introduce cheap liquor and also during the Grama Jyoti programme. Villagers imposed prohibition ion liquor consumption and its sales in Kamole, Mategoan and Kamsara grampanchyats in Bhainsa mandal recently. 

The sick persons were shifted to Bhainsa where they were undergoing treatment.

The habitual drinkers who stopped drinking complained of various symptoms   and started behaved differently. What initially was noticed in 20 drinkers soon increased to nearly 100.

However, the villagers of Kamole have implementing the prohibition on liquor consumption and sales in their village despite the large number of habitual drinkers falling sick.

Bhainsa Area hospital superintendent Dr Kashinath said, these symptoms were common in those addicted to liquor as the nerve system is affected so blood pressure fluctuations and anxiety are not entirely unexpected.

He advised that habitual drinkers to consult doctors before giving up liquor consumption and eat nutritious food, fruits, vegetables and include B complex vitamins in the diet. A consultation with psychiatrist will also help.                       

Adilabad Excise Deputy Commissioner Shivraj also visited Kamole and appreciated the villagers for implementing the prohibition on liquor sales and promised to cancel the license of liquor shop in their village.      

Village development committee (VDC) members shifted the sick persons to Bhainsa government hospital and a medical camp was set up in the village to treat the habitual drinkers. Psychiatrists and a team of doctors visited the Kamole and gave counseled them.               

Such incidents were also reported from other villages where villagers took the decision boycotting the liquor in protest against the state governments effort’s to introduce cheap liquor which was withdrawn latter and also to control nuisance of the drinkers in the villages.

Women groups and youth associations had played a vital role in imposing prohibition on liquor and its implementation recently in Buggaram village in Neredigonda and Bambara in Wankidi and few villages in Talamadugu and Tamsi mandals.