North East Artist Network (NEAN)

“NEAN NLTP Initiative” (Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act)

Ever since NLTP Act was introduced in the year 1989, its enforcement for the last thirty years has only been partially successful. It has neither observed in Total nor has it been able to stem the flow of liquor in our state. On the contrary, it has only given rise to increment of illicit liquor, brewed and bottled spuriously by bootleggers who are making a tidy profit by flooding the state and making it available in every nook and corner in our state. How far in 30 years of NLTP enactment in the state has achieved effectively in controlling liquor related health issues, and other socials problems associated with alcoholism should be studied and review in its totality. The ever increasing numbers of alcoholism victims in the state is an indicative of the low level of awareness and understanding of NLTP act by the masses of state. Above all, the inflow of spurious liquor in the form of IMFL illegally in the state posing a grave concern and endangering so many precious lives. World Health Organization says “People with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) have and average life expectancy of 47-53 years (men) and 50-58 (women)”. However, the scenario in Nagaland could be more alarming, and dangerous, since most of the liquor smuggled by the bootleggers is highly adulterated and in most case unfit for human consumption, resulting many alcoholic in Nagaland dies at much below the average life expectancy of an alcoholic. Alcoholism is associated with a wide range of health and social problems which includes heart disease, stroke, blood pressure, cancer, hepatitis, HIV, diabetes, mental disorder, neonatal abstinence syndrome, driving under the influence and other transportation- related injuries, sexual assault and rape, unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infection, intentional and unintentional injuries and property crime etc. There are three approaches to address substance addiction: - i. Harm Reduction ii. Demand Reduction iii. Supply Reduction, the supply reduction hardly gives positive outcome in many areas, and the NLTP Act falls under supply reduction. Therefore, we need to apply both” Demand and Harm Reduction” through these approach it will help us to understand the ground realities more deeply with facts and figures which will lead us to develop a healthier discussion and without these components any decision at present might result in conflict. Taking a serious concern on the impending situation, the North East Artist Network (NEAN) has been initiating community based intervention activities on alcoholism in our state. (NEAN is a non-profit organisation and registered under the society registration Act, working to promote and identify talents from the community such as alcoholics, drug user, PLHIV, school dropouts, orphans and other marginalized community and create awareness on drug and alcohol abuse). In the year 2015 NEAN has conducted an independent “NLTP Act Public Opinion Poll”. Wherein the opinion poll was a success and participated by more than one lakh thirty thousand participant. The results of the public opinion poll indicate very low knowledge or awareness about its harmful health affect. A larger picture of alcoholic related ill impact witnessing in our society is that, it has produced quite a number of orphans, children without father/mother, widows, and broken homes etc., and the basic human rights of the affected community including women and children are deprived in terms of education, health, economic etc., level of stigma, and discrimination is very high, and this is a public health issue, which needs to be address. . For effective and strengthening the implementation of NLTP Act, it has to be accompanied by prevention, treatment program and policies. NEAN awareness campaign towards public health is an on-goingendeavour wherein the organization put major focus on NLTP Act, called “NEAN NLTP INITIATIVES” with a slogan “Take the first Step For Alcohol Recovery” with the theme “Taking the Lead Towards Deeper Understanding”. With an objective to bring about a positive and balanced understanding by generating wide spread level of awareness about the act as well imparting knowledge associated with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and others related problems of alcoholism. NEAN is of the opinion that by bringing out the NLTP Act at public domain for positive disseminations and enhanced awareness level of rampant alcohol abuse in Naga society, it will strengthen the implementation of the act and will go a long way for a positive development. A family is better run by both parents and NLTP is like a family run without a mother and ” NEAN NLTP INITIATIVES” is aiming to play the rule of a mother, so the authority must make a serious concern and support these marriage to take place and the church must also perform their duties to solemnize the marriage. It will be holistic evidence based prevention intervention, which addresses a wider range of potential problems beyond just substance abuse, and there is a need for on-going investment in resources and infrastructure to ensure that programs can be implement faithfully, sustainably and at sufficient scale to reap the reward of reduced alcohol consumption and its consequences in the communities. To support the campaign NEAN would be realizing few campaign support songs and the organization will mobilize resource to support the project and lastly NEAN would like to make an appeal to the public to make this campaign a people’s campaign and let us all unite to save life. The intervention of “NEAN NLTP INITIATIVES” comprises the concerns of health issues and social problem, associated with alcohol in consonance with the needs of the users:- the implementation will have the following programs/services. 1. Prevention Education and awareness generation. 2. Setting up DIC & AA group & support group. 3. Sensitization program. 4. Counseling. 5. Case study. 6. IEC 7. Detoxification camp. 8. Hepatitis helpline. 9. Referral services. 10. Training. 11. Condom distribution.