Bihar's Flawed Prohibition, NFHS-6 Shows Rise in Alcohol Consumption

The latest round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on May 29, 2025, has reignited the debate over Bihar's decade-long prohibition policy. The survey found that 16.5% of men aged 15 years and above in Bihar reported consuming alcohol, up from 15.4% recorded in the previous NFHS-5 survey conducted during 2019-21. While the increase of 1.1 percentage points may appear modest, it has become politically and socially significant because it comes nearly ten years after the state implemented one of India's most stringent alcohol bans. 10 Years of Prohibition Bihar became a dry state on April 1, 2016, when the government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar prohibited the sale and consumption of country liquor. Within days, the ban was expanded to include all forms of alcohol through amendments to the Bihar Excise Act. The move was introduced following sustained demands from women's groups who argued that widespread alcohol

by Chandrakanth · source ↗