Pune, July 13 -- The Maharashtra government is encouraging addiction rather than curbing it through its policies, alleged Avinash Patil, chief of the Vyasanmukt Maharashtra Samanvay Manch on Monday. The Manch is a coalition of over 100 organisations and individuals working in the fields of addiction awareness, prevention, treatment and policy advocacy,Addressing a press conference here, Patil claimed that the government's focus on increasing revenue from liquor, expanding the availability of intoxicants and issuing more licences has led to a rise in substance abuse among the youth.
Patil said the state lacks a comprehensive anti-addiction policy and instead continues to promote liquor sales for revenue generation. He criticised the governm...