CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Thursday urged people across the State to support the alcohol-free Tamil Nadu movement to be launched by Pasumai Thaayagam president Sowmiya Anbumani on October 2, marking Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary.

Rejecting the argument that the liquor trade could not be discontinued because it generates up to Rs 60,000 crore annually for the State, he claimed that the government spends Rs 1.08 lakh crore on alcohol-related health problems, while the wider public impact was estimated at Rs 72,000 crore.

He claimed that Tamil Nadu had the highest number of young widows, road accidents and suicides in the country, and alleged that alcohol was a major factor behind these problems. He also cited studies to claim that alcohol was a major cause of domestic violence targeting women.

Anbumani said alcohol consumption was linked to seven types of cancer, heart disease, hepatitis and around 200 diseases. He claimed that more than two lakh people die annually in the State due to alcohol consumption and that nearly 70% of them were primary earners, leaving their families without livelihood. He further claimed that 54 lakh people in the State currently required treatment for alcohol addiction.

He said more than 85% of families of alcohol dependent persons were burdened with debt and warned that continued addiction across generations could make the problem increasingly difficult to address.

Anbumani added that Mahatma Gandhi had strongly advocated a liquor-free India and described alcohol related problems as one of the biggest threats facing Tamil Nadu, citing their social, health and economic impact.