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Bihar needs to talk about prohibition, addiction

As an investigation in this newspaper shows, the substance abuse problem in Bihar has taken new forms and has reached alarming proportions

Mere prohibition and criminalisation, as the experience of the last decade shows, can make matters worse.

3 min read Oct 24, 2026 06:13 AM IST First published on: Oct 24, 2026 at 06:13 AM IST

In 2016, months after the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government began its third term in Bihar, the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act came into effect. The political logic behind the law banning and criminalising the consumption of alcohol was plain enough. In his first two terms, Nitish Kumar had built up considerable support among women by addressing what many saw as a broken law-and-order system. Schemes like the Mukhyamantri Cycle Yojana gave women greater mobility and independence. Addiction, in its worst forms, takes a toll not merely on the addict but also on their family and the broader community.…