Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Vijay ordered the closure of 717 state-run liquor retail outlets located within a 500-metre radius of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stations in the state, to be completed within two weeks. According to a Business Standard report, the shops are operated by Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) and number about 4,765 in the state, of which 276 are near places of worship, 186 are near educational institutions, and 255 are near bus stands. It is reported that the number of shops shut makes up almost 15% of the state’s alcohol stores. The government has also directed all TASMAC outlets to strictly enforce the legal drinking age of 21 and verify customers’ ages before selling alcohol. Officials said that liquor shop employees have been instructed to check identity documents, including Aadhaar cards, whenever there is doubt about a buyer’s age. The move is part of the new administration’s broader push to tighten alcohol regulations and limit easy access to liquor. This is not the first time the state government has ordered the closure of liquor shops. Tamil Nadu has several instances in its political history where governments ordered liquor shop closures, imposed prohibition, or significantly restricted alcohol sales. Alcohol consumption is injurious to health, which is why many Indian states where alcohol is completely banned are referred to as dry states of India. Take a look.