FIRST and foremost, I neither like nor consume alcohol ... It has never been part of my life. So when I write about this issue, it is not out of any personal interest, but only because it represents a growing societal problem that needs to be discussed calmly. Recently, news outlets reported the tragic deaths of 23 individuals and the poisoning of around 160 others after consuming adulterated alcohol.
At the same time, security forces uncovered a makeshift factory where toxic chemicals and pesticides were being used to produce local liquor. The phenomenon of “local alcohol” and smuggled alcoholic beverages is not new. It has a long and dangerous history, claiming many lives and leaving others with lasting injuries. In just one week, police arrested several individuals involved in smuggling imported goods or selling locally produced liquor.
This prompts me to reflect on the year 1964, when Article 206 of the Penal Code was passed after extensive debate. I recall that Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem (May Allah have mercy on him) was quoted as asking, “Does this ban encourage drug smuggling, and what are the alternatives?” That question, along with similar ones, has been raised repeatedly over the past six decades. Yet the response has almost always been the same - “Kuwaiti society is conservative,” and the conversation ends there.
However, in reality, Kuwait is not the only conservative society. All Gulf societies are conservative by nature. Still, some of their governments have allowed the controlled sale of alcoholic beverages to non-Muslim expatriates, within specific boundaries, offering some level of relief for these people. Back in the 1960s, before Article 206 was passed, I recall that we launched a press campaign, not to ban alcoholic beverages, but to raise a different question: Why was their distribution monopolized by a foreign company? This was a common situation in all the Arabian Gulf states at the time. The debate wasn’t about banning alcohol outright. Interestingly, the conservative society of that era was, in many ways, more open than it is today.
So, what has come from the ban in Kuwait? It has led to a surge in drug use, increased smuggling and trafficking, and, as the saying goes, “Everything forbidden becomes desirable.” We began seeing a rise in the circulation of deadly substances, including makeshift alcohol laced with toxins and produced in illegal “factories.” The statistics are alarming. Around 81,000 addicts seek help through psychiatric hospitals, outpatient clinics, and treatment centers for just eight years, which is over 10,000 cases per year. These numbers paint a disturbing picture.
When 51 percent of users and dealers are citizens, it sends a serious alarm bell and raises important questions about available alternatives. So we ask, why isn’t there a calm, open discussion that considers all perspectives, including legal, religious, and public health-related, in the interest of society as a whole? Why do we continue to avoid approaching this issue with objectivity, free from the pressure of extremist voices that have long tried to impose their political ideologies on society? That same pressure has contributed to rising extremism and an alarming increase in drug abuse. What we truly need now is the courage to confront these issues directly, without finger-pointing.
The discovery of counterfeit alcohol factories, the growing number of victims, and the high rate of drug use all call for addressing this issue with calm, clarity, and without preconceived notions. I remember, several decades ago, when a Gulf ruler allowed alcohol in his country under strict regulations, someone questioned him, “Our society is conservative, so how can you permit this?” He responded by saying, “A true believer doesn’t need a deterrent.”
