India's Moonshine State
Inside the world's largest prohibition experiment
Imagine a state where all alcohol is banned, without exception. Where you would go to jail for months for possessing a single drop. ABC travels to Bihar, India to explore the consequences of the world's largest "prohibition experiment". Reporter Meghna Bali patrols with police as they hunt down illegal production networks. “Country liquor is produced and distributed by specific individuals affiliated with the liquor mafia”, explains Station House officer Sanjeet Kumar. The ban was initially extremely popular among women, with 32-year-old campaigner Baby Kumari reflecting on her abusive and alcoholic husband, “because of prohibition, many sisters now have happy lives”. Bihar had one of the highest domestic violence rates in India prior to the ban. Yet, country liquor often contains toxic ingredients including methanol, and as it floods the black market, victims like Lalita Devi, whose husband died from poisoning, say “they say it's banned, but sellers won't stop”.
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