Punjab's first-ever Drug and Socio-Economic Census has come under scrutiny for instructing enumerators, primarily teachers, to disregard alcohol addiction in their data collection. During training, enumerators were told to record 'No' when respondents mentioned alcohol as an addiction, despite a 2019 report from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) highlighting Punjab's severe alcohol abuse issues. This report identified Punjab among the top states needing help for alcohol-related problems, with a particularly alarming rate of alcohol use among children aged 10-17. Teachers expressed frustration over the conflicting instructions, as the written training manual includes alcohol as a substance requiring treatment. Experts in addiction have criticized this approach, arguing that it misrepresents the actual addiction landscape in Punjab, where alcohol is a leading cause of domestic violence and health issues. They advocate for a more comprehensive understanding of substance abuse that includes alcohol, emphasizing the need for trained social workers to conduct such surveys. The controversy raises questions about the government's commitment to addressing addiction ahead of upcoming elections.