The Indian state of Bihar banned the sales and consumption of alcohol in 2016. The ban was championed by local women to tackle issues of alcoholism and domestic violence. The punishments of being caught with alcohol were severe. Fines were high and you were also looking at a month in jail. Repeat offense meant a year behind bars. Nepal, which shares a 729-km border with Bihar, rushed to its help. On the Nepali side of the border, bars and restaurants sprung up where thirsty Indians could get their daily dose of alcohol. According to a report in The New York Times, men from all walks of life crossed the border to drink as much as they could before 9pm, which was when the police blew their shrill whistles and the shops had to close. “Alcohol is available everywhere in Nepal. From little corner shops to dazzling liquor stores, there are plenty of options to suit all kinds of wants and wallets,” says Sanjeev Kumar Shah, program coordinator at Sober Recovery and Rehabilitation Center (SRRC).

In our society, any celebration calls for a drink or two. A hard day at work means indulging in some good Scotch (or local hooch) that night. If you are happy, you drink. If there is a problem you can’t handle, you drink. If you don’t drink at a party, you become an outlier. Everybody will ask you why you aren’t drinking and try to convince you to at least down a shot.

According to Tsering Wangdu, founder of SRRC, alcohol is socially and culturally accepted and that in itself poses a problem in regulating its sales and consumption. In the Kirati and Gurung cultures, alcohol is sent to the bride’s family during marriage. The Tamang community has a ritual of offering alcohol to the deceased. Sherpas give it to new mothers and drink it to seal business deals. Likewise, the Newars brew alcohol on many important occasions. “Alcohol is addictive and drinking it under different pretexts will lead to addiction,” says Wangdu. Nepal has rules in place to regulate alcohol sales. Alcohol cannot be sold to those under 18. Liquor stores need licenses to operate, and there are restrictions in advertisements as well. Sales of homemade liquors like aila and chhyang is illegal. There is also a cap on how much of it can be produced a year. But the rules aren’t being followed. There’s an urgent need to make proper provisions regarding the manufacture and sales of alcohol in Nepal, says Tek Prasad Rai, spokesperson of the Nepal Police. Alcohol, he says, is a major cause of domestic and sexual violence, accidents, and many other crimes. Rai says there are many alcohol-related altercations and mishaps on a daily basis. They usually result in grave injuries and even deaths. As many cultures consider alcohol auspicious, it’s difficult for the police to even enforce the rules that are already in place, laments Rai. There have been instances when the police have tried to control the consumption of liquor in certain places. Their efforts have only led to furor among various communities that claimed the police tried to mock and reject traditional practices. According to a study, mortality by alcohol in Nepal increased by 376 percent between 1990 and 2016. The study also found that 21 percent males and 1.5 percent females in Nepal were habitual drinkers. A total of 3,972 Nepalis lost their lives in 2016 to liver diseases and cancer among other alcohol-induced ailments. Those working at rehabilitation centers, who have seen the impact alcohol has had on people’s health and relationships, agree the government must intervene and come up with stricter control measures. Some ways to control alcohol consumption could be putting health warnings on alcohol bottles, setting a 21-year age limit for alcohol purchase, regulating the time of alcohol sales, and imposing a ban on all kinds of alcohol ads and promotions. More importantly, there has to be a strict monitoring of alcohol sales to ensure adherence to rules. Shishir Thapa, founder of Cripa Nepal, says alcoholism is an escalating problem in the country. Despite their efforts, many of their patients relapse once they are out of the facility. Thapa says he has seen all kinds of people, from all sorts of backgrounds—from daily wage earners to reputed doctors—risk financial ruin or be estranged from their families because of their addiction. He adds that men are more likely to be alcoholics than women because of our patriarchal beliefs that allow men to do as they please. “Alcoholics are self-centered and incapable of rational thinking and empathy. They are unable to lead regular, normal lives,” says Thapa who believes alcoholism will hinder the nation’s growth besides driving many families into despair. Nepalis, Thapa adds, are at a high risk of alcohol abuse as it’s available everywhere and anyone can access it. There is also no oversight on who is selling alcohol and who is buying it. Many elderlies start drinking at the break of dawn. Their morning walks are quite literally powered by Johnny Walker or cheaper, local versions of the same. Chowks and parks not only sell tea but ‘raksi’ too, camouflaged as cold drinks in pet bottles. The government chooses to remain oblivious because of cultural associations of alcohol as well as the fact that regulating liquor will cut down on revenues. Should Nepal follow its neighbors’ footsteps and ban alcohol, like the governments in Gujarat, Bihar, Manipur, and Nagaland? Nischala Arjal, assistant professor at Kathmandu School of Law, says complete restrictions never yield the desired results. What’s important to regulate is how, when, and where alcohol is sold. That will stop regular drinkers from becoming habitual ones, she says. Thapa adds there needs to be wider awareness on the harmful effects of drinking. Wangdu agrees and says we can no longer afford to normalize the act of drinking. “The government shouldn’t turn a blind eye to this problem as the costs of alcohol dependance are just too high,” he says.