Ahead of the arrival of 2024, Delhi experienced an unprecedented surge in liquor sales, marking a record-breaking prelude to the New Year celebrations. On December 31, a staggering 24 lakh bottles of liquor were sold in the city, indicating a substantial increase in demand. This upward trend was evident even before the eve of New Year’s Eve, with sales of 17 lakh 79 thousand bottles on December 30.
#WATCH | Delhi: Huge crowd seen in Connaught Place on the occasion of New Year pic.twitter.com/BuIkBP1vE8
— ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2024
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The Enforcement Action Against Drunk Driving
While liquor sales soared in Delhi for the New Year, law enforcement took swift action against drunk driving, especially at intersections. On December 30, authorities reported 189 cases of drunken driving, with hotspots including Badarpur, Lajpat Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Sarita Vihar, and Kalkaji Circle. The numbers escalated on December 31, reaching a total of 360 cases, primarily concentrated in Kapashera, Nangloi, Sangam Vihar, Tilak Nagar, and Nand Nagari Circle.
Cost Of Liquor Sold
Notably, New Year’s celebrations led to an increase of about 6 lakh 11 thousand bottles compared to preceding days. Last year, approximately 20 lakh 30 thousand liquor bottles were sold on December 31, marking a 20% rise in alcohol consumption this year compared to December 31, 2022. Overall, the month of December saw a staggering sale of about 5 crore bottles of liquor, a 25% increase from the 4 crore bottles sold in December 2022.
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Comparative Rise in Drunk Driving Cases
The rise in liquor consumption correlated with a surge in drunk driving cases. In 2021, from December 16 to December 31, 274 challans were issued for drunk driving, which drastically escalated to 2129 in 2023. Similarly, the number of drunk driving cases soared to 16173 in 2023, compared to 2225 in 2022, 2831 in 2021, and 3986 in 2020. The spike in both sales and cases underscores the need for stringent enforcement and awareness campaigns regarding responsible drinking during festive seasons.
