COVID-19 vaccination drive causing sobering effect on tipplers in Adilabad
Some of the licensed liquor shops are reporting a decrease in sales by about 30 per cent since the last few days. The trend, according to the licencees, could continue until the end of the special drive.
By S. Harpal Singh Published on 24 Sep 2021 2:08 PM GMT
Adilabad: The current COVID-19 vaccination special drive has caused an unintended but definitely sobering effect on tipplers in Adilabad district, the result of which can be seen in the dipping liquor sale figure. The credit for the phenomenon goes to the medical staff associated with the vaccination drive who are 'advising' drinkers to stay away from booze if they want to avoid health issues and for the vaccine to be effective.
Some of the licensed liquor shops are reporting a decrease in sales by about 30 per cent since the last few days. The trend, according to the licencees, could continue until the end of the special drive.
"We used to sell liquor worth about Rs. 5 lakh per day but the figure has come down to about Rs. 3.5 lakh since the last few days," revealed a salesman of a liquor shop at Sunkidi village in Talamadagu mandal. "Inquiries show that most of our customers from Talamadugu and Tamsi mandals are shunning their regular quota of drink after being 'warned' by the medical staff," he added.
The same is the case of a retail liquor shop at Neredigonda mandal headquarter. The shop has seen a slump in sales by about 30 per cent since the start of the vaccination drive.
After denying that people are being advised against consumption of liquor for at least three days after vaccination, a medical officer conceded and gave his reasons for doing so. "We do not want people to get involved in road accidents or any other such thing and blame the vaccine with some imaginary ill effect," the officer said.
There are 31 licenced retail liquor vendors and 12 bar and restaurants in Adilabad district which cumulatively sell liquor worth about Rs. 25 crore per month. This figure could be perceptively lower for September, according to Excise officials who, however, swear that the trend of decrease in liquor sale has not come to their notice.
The vaccination drive has improved the rate of vaccination in this backward district by a good percentage. According to the district immunization officer, Dr. Vijaya Sarathi, of the over 5,01,000 people above 18 years of age who form the target group, about 50 per cent have been vaccinated, mostly during the special drive.
There are a total of 175 vaccination centres which includes 126 centres in rural areas and in 49 centres in all the municipal wards in the district headquarter town. While the target for each centre has been fixed at 100 persons per day, an effective vaccination rate of 97 per cent is being recorded at present.
