Drug users can dance all night, alcohol drinkers cannot: Parrikar

Panaji, Dec 18 (IANS) Admitting that there was a need to control rave parties in the state, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said that those who consume drugs can dance till morning, while those who drink alcohol can dance only for two to three hours.

"Without drugs, you can't dance until morning. With alcohol you can dance at the most two to three hours," he told the assembly while responding to a calling attention motion moved by Congress MLA Pratapsingh Rane on the need to crack down on the drug mafia in Goa.

The Chief Minister also said that the Goa Police have identified joints in the tourist-frequented regions of the state, where drugs are consumed and promised more action against drug use.

"(We have) Identified joints where drugs are in use. We are now working on it. They will be blacklisted. Rave parties have to be brought under control. We will take it on a mission mode," he said.

Parrikar also said that some night parties and hotels where drug consumption is regular are being identified.

"Goa being a worldwide tourist destination, lakhs of tourists i.e. international as well as domestic tourists visit the state every year and are the major target of drug peddlers/dealers. It is also learnt that these days, the drug dealers/peddlers are using foreign tourists who are addicts to sell drugs, since foreigners can easily approach another foreigner with drugs," he said.

Goa is one of the top beach tourism destinations in the country, however the state has also been a popular narco-tourism destination.