Alcohol ban in Bihar led to better proteins, fat intake: IIT Kanpur

The prohibition on alcohol in Bihar in 2016 has led to higher intake of calories protein and healthy fats from nutritious food sources according to a study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology IIT Kanpur on SaturdayThe study finds that alcohol prohibition enacted under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act by the Nitish Kumarled government significantly increased caloric protein and fat intake from healthy food sources such as pulses dairy products and nutbased oilsImportantly the move led to a decline in consumption of packaged and processed foods which are often complementary to alcohol useldquoThe ban did not just free up household resources it also triggered positive behavioural spilloversrdquo said Vinayak Krishnatri from Department of Economic Sciences at IIT KanpurldquoReduced alcohol use was associated with lower marital conflict improved household stability and a greater prioritisation of spending on nutritious foodrdquo Krishnatri addedIn the paper published in the journal Agricultural Economics the team drew analysis based on householdlevel data from two rounds 201112 and 202223 of the nationally representative Consumer Expenditure Survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office NSSOTo account for broader time trends and regional economic changes the researchers compared Bihar with neighbouring states Uttar Pradesh Jharkhand and West BengalTo ensure the validity of the findings the researchers employed multiple statistical matching techniques and conducted extensive robustness checksThe study showed that alcohol prohibition freed up household resources which were subsequently redirected towards healthier food consumption rather than unhealthy alternatives Stronger gains were seen in urban areas where enforcement of the ban is relatively more effectiveContrary to concerns households did not reallocate these savings towards unhealthy food consumptionA particularly policyrelevant finding is the increase in protein intake in a state where diets are traditionally cerealdominated The study also found a shift away from cheap unhealthy fats towards betterquality cooking oils improving overall dietary qualityAlcohol prohibition in Bihar was primarily aimed at reducing domestic violence and alcoholrelated social harms The study also reveals that it generated unintended nutritional and health benefitsldquoWe show that the ban led to meaningful improvements in diet quality by shifting household spending from alcohol to foodrdquo said Prof Sukumar Vellakkal coauthor and Associate Professor Department of Economic Sciences IIT KanpurThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever