Andhra Pradesh Excise Minister KS Jawahar on Monday termed beer a “health drink” and promised to aggressively promote its consumption, PTI reported. The minister, who was discussing the state’s new excise policy on a Telegu television channel, said the government would take steps to promote beer because “it is a healthy drink”.
“Who said beer is not a health drink? I am ready to prove it’s a health drink,” he told TV9 Telugu on Monday night. When asked by the anchor about the manner in which the government would showcase it as a health drink, he said, “Come to me, and I will prove that beer is healthy. How can I prove it in a television debate?”
A video clip of his remarks has since gone viral on social media.
On Tuesday morning, Jawahar reportedly sent a WhatsApp message to the channel listing the “health benefits” of beer. “The health benefits of beer include anti-cancer properties, a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, increased bone density, prevention of dementia and coronary disease,” Jawahar wrote in the message. “It also aids the digestive system, treats diabetes and has anti-ageing properties,” the message said, according to PTI.
The minister’s comments evoked strong reactions from Opposition parties, reported The Hindu. YSR Congress MLA RK Roja asked what was preventing the Telugu Desam government from “selling beer in medical shops and distributing it as a nutritional supplement to newborns, pregnant women and students in general if it is a health drink.”
Jawahar later said that his comments had been completely blown out of proportion. “I was reacting to a question on promoting liquor as part of the new excise policy,” Jawahar was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. “I said the government does not encourage liquor consumption, but tries to control it. Since it is practically impossible to prevent people from drinking, I said it would be better to encourage consumption of beer instead.” He claimed that beer is a “healthier option” than other forms of liquor because it contains less alcohol.
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