'Imperfect ban is better than social ruin': Zoho's Vembu calls for liquor prohibition in TN after another death
Sophisticated people think prohibition would never work, but imperfect prohibition is better than the social ruin alcohol is causing, says Sridhar Vembu
- Dec 3, 2025,
- Updated Dec 3, 2025 12:46 PM IST
Zoho's Sridhar Vembu has called for the implementation of liquor prohibition in Tamil Nadu, stating that even an imperfect ban would be a better solution than the widespread social and economic damage caused by alcohol abuse in rural areas.
In a post on X, Vembu said, "Sophisticated people think prohibition would never work, but imperfect prohibition is better than the social ruin alcohol is causing. At the very least, prohibition would make drinking socially frowned upon."
Vembu said this after a tragic incident in a nearby village, where a 71-year-old father took his own life after his 45-year-old son had committed suicide weeks earlier due to alcohol-related issues. He said this kind of news was sadly very frequent there. "So many deaths in our rural areas are alcohol-related. Families are devastated by alcohol and debt."
Alcohol abuse, according to Vembu, is one of the major contributors to rural distress. Earlier, he raised alarm over the rise in alcohol and drug addiction among students in Tamil Nadu, stating, "It is worrying to know that 18% of men are addicted to liquor in Tamil Nadu. Now the habit has started among school students."
Vembu believes this growing addiction is having a disastrous impact on family structures, particularly for women, who are left to bear the burden of the breakdown in family life.
The entrepreneur has also focused attention on Tamil Nadu's declining birth rate, which he links to societal collapse in the rural areas, worsened by alcoholism and loan sharking. In January this year, Vembu remarked, "More and more men, particularly young men, are dropping out of society, and women are left to carry the burden of families. I believe one consequence is the low birth rate."
Vembu, known for his advocacy of long-term societal solutions, pointed out that Tamil Nadu's birth rate is already well below replacement level, and the state is seeing a "steady decline in its birth rate". He attributed this trend not only to urbanization, but also to the deepening social and economic crisis in rural communities. "We need to address alcohol and loan sharking to renew hope in our society," he had said.
So far, Bihar and Gujarat have implemented full liquor bans.
Zoho's Sridhar Vembu has called for the implementation of liquor prohibition in Tamil Nadu, stating that even an imperfect ban would be a better solution than the widespread social and economic damage caused by alcohol abuse in rural areas.
In a post on X, Vembu said, "Sophisticated people think prohibition would never work, but imperfect prohibition is better than the social ruin alcohol is causing. At the very least, prohibition would make drinking socially frowned upon."
Vembu said this after a tragic incident in a nearby village, where a 71-year-old father took his own life after his 45-year-old son had committed suicide weeks earlier due to alcohol-related issues. He said this kind of news was sadly very frequent there. "So many deaths in our rural areas are alcohol-related. Families are devastated by alcohol and debt."
Alcohol abuse, according to Vembu, is one of the major contributors to rural distress. Earlier, he raised alarm over the rise in alcohol and drug addiction among students in Tamil Nadu, stating, "It is worrying to know that 18% of men are addicted to liquor in Tamil Nadu. Now the habit has started among school students."
Vembu believes this growing addiction is having a disastrous impact on family structures, particularly for women, who are left to bear the burden of the breakdown in family life.
The entrepreneur has also focused attention on Tamil Nadu's declining birth rate, which he links to societal collapse in the rural areas, worsened by alcoholism and loan sharking. In January this year, Vembu remarked, "More and more men, particularly young men, are dropping out of society, and women are left to carry the burden of families. I believe one consequence is the low birth rate."
Vembu, known for his advocacy of long-term societal solutions, pointed out that Tamil Nadu's birth rate is already well below replacement level, and the state is seeing a "steady decline in its birth rate". He attributed this trend not only to urbanization, but also to the deepening social and economic crisis in rural communities. "We need to address alcohol and loan sharking to renew hope in our society," he had said.
So far, Bihar and Gujarat have implemented full liquor bans.