Committee to help tackle alcoholism on campuses

PANAJI: The state government has formed a state level committee "to examine the problem ofalcoholism on the campuses of educational institution". The committee will also study the psychological impact of ragging on students and suggest measures to relieve the stress for freshers joining colleges.

The committee has been formed as per a 2009 Supreme Court judgment, where the recommendations of the Raghavan Committee were accepted for implementation by all the states in India. The judgment enjoins states to constitute a state level committee to deal with alcoholism and ragging.

The body, headed by Goa Medical College dean V N Jindal, will suggest 'immediate' measures for de-addiction from alcohol for students and also recommend urgent and mandatory measures to be implemented in educational institutions with regards to dealing with ragging-related stress.

The state committee has the dean of the institute of psychiatry as its vice-chairman and a representative each from the directorate of technical education, Goa University, Goa College of Engineering, Bandekar college at Mapusa, Carmel College at Nuvem, Government College of Polytechnic at Panaji and Government college of Sanquelim as its members. The other members of the committee are Pradeep S of Alcoholic Anonymous Intergroup, North Goa, counsellor Dr Meenakshi Martins and deputy director of higher education.

The committee will meet once in six months from August to February each year.

Statistics indicate that of every 100 cases admitted to hospitals in the state, approximately 20 are directly related to alcohol abuse. Of these, 15% of the patients die on admission itself.

Studies have attributed alcoholism to changing lifestyles across all strata of society, easy accessibility to liquor, an increasing number of casinos, pubs and taverns, more disposable income among the young, peer pressure and stressful lives.

Youngsters are more prone to be affected by alcoholism as substances like alcohol, tobacco, drugs are seen as symbols of liberation, states the study.