Shops that sell wine – or not

BAHAWALPUR: This is with reference to the article “New wine shops destroy the youth” (July 17). I would like to point out that although these shops are called wine shops, they do not in fact sell wine – or at least very rarely. Wine is made from grapes which are fermented, and it has relatively low alcohol content. It comes in three colours – red, white and pink – and is a pleasant social drink. What the wine shops sell is ’spirits’ – whisky, gin, vodka or variations thereof that are made from distilled liquids which concentrate the alcohol and raise the alcohol levels far above that of wine.

Over my many years here I have noticed, when drinking particularly with Muslims, that they drink to get drunk, rather than drink as an adjunct to a social activity. The majority have not learned how to drink in a socially acceptable manner and quickly get ahead of themselves — not a pretty sight.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2010.