Substance Abuse and Intoxicant Prohibition

INDIA GREENS

Prohibition:

Substance abuse/intoxication and eating of pan or pan masala is not allowed in the party gatherings, meetings, programmes, workshops, outreach events, demonstrations or celebrations of any kind. Use of such substances/intoxication leads to exhibition of abnormal behaviour, inappropriate comments and even misbehaviour.
If certain intoxicants/psychotropic substances are recommended to be consumed as medicine or for good health, these should be consumed only as such as medication, and avoided during the party gatherings, meetings, programmes, workshops, outreach events, demonstrations or celebrations of any kind.
Any office bearer of the party indulging in substance abuse or intoxicants even in their personal life is directly responsible for their actions and behaviour after such activity especially in public and have to bear the consequences of his/her actions.

Points in favour of Prohibition:

Prevention is always better than the cure. Everyone’s tolerance level is different and unpredictable. Therefore, we cannot afford to put the Green Movement, our party, or party members at risk because of untoward incident on a public platform arising after the consumption of intoxicant substances.
Scientific fact is that intoxication affects judgement, behaviour, physical and mental balance.
Alcohol is a toxin that kills cells such as microorganisms, which is why we use it to sanitise and sterilise skin, needles, etc.
Alcohol damages the human body though at a pace that is not traceable, and affects physical and mental wellbeing of those who take it.
Alcohol smell and cigarette/beedi smoke are a menace for those who don’t use these substances.
Eating of Pan and Pan Masala, etc, go hand in hand with spitting, not to mention the very disturbing oral odour and uncouth appearance associated with it.
Substance abuse impacts those more who are mental and spiritually handicapped.
Drunken driving is dangerous for the driver as well as the people and vehicles on the roads.
Substance abuse/intoxication can badly affect the image of our party, and will also affect the public acceptance.
Substance abuse/intoxication can tarnish the party leaders and image of the party.

Notes:

Substance Abuse: A pattern of harmful use of any substance for mood-altering purposes. “Substances” can include alcohol, cocaine and heroin, nicotine and other drugs (illegal or not) as well as some substances that are not drugs at all like Pan and Pan Masala.

Intoxicants: Any substance/drug that can alter, disturb, affect the Physical Mental and Behavioural aspects of a person in a Negative way.

Private Life: What Official Members of the iGP do in their private lives, does not concern the Party; but only as long as it is legal, ethical and does not jeopardise the Party’s image in any manner.
We all know the image of the Party and its Members greatly affects public acceptance, as Adhominems and stereotyping are unavoidable and skewed perceptions which will further be used by other parties, their media and IT cells against us.

References:

What Alcohol Does to Your Body:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q1RH8A3O3c
There is no such thing as a safe level of alcohol consumption https://www.theguardian.com/science/2011/mar/07/safe-level-alcohol-consumption
Associations between substance use and type of crime in prisoners with substance use problems – a focus on violence and fatal violence https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5774467/
Alcohol-Related Crimes

Cocarcinogenic effects of alcohol in hepatocarcinogenesis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1773267/

Document prepared by: Michael Rajchandra, International Secretary, Member PAC & Convener Watchdog Committee.

Important Notice