Supreme Court to hear plea to ban liquor across India September 30

The Supreme Court on Wednesday posted for hearing on September 30 a Public Interest writ petition seeking prohibition of liquor and other intoxicating drinks and drugs in all the states as per the mandate in Article 47 read with the Article 21 of the Constitution. In his PIL, BJP leader and Delhi-based lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay said that Right to Health is an integral part of Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 and Article 47 which casts a duty on the state to protect public health. These provisions should be implemented in letter and spirit by bringing about a ban on alcohol for its corrosive effects on human health and life.

The petitioner stated that except for medicinal purposes, sale of liquor and intoxicating drinks and drugs must be prohibited completely or allowed with strict conditions for limiting its evil to the utmost. He also pleaded that the states be directed to create adequate awareness through school curriculum among students and designating a Health Day every month for educating people about its ill-effects.

He pointed out that States like Gujarat, Bihar have already prohibited liquor and other intoxicating drinks and drugs and crime rates have been decreased due to it and thus deserve similar implementation in every State. The petitioner also highlighted the fact that alcohol was also at the root cause of several crimes, road accidents, poverty, unemployment etc apart from physical and mental hazards. It intends to be a voice for the economically weaker sections who are among the worst affected by ill-effects of alcohol consumption, but are incapable of accessing the courts themselves.

The petition prayed for directing the respondent States to take steps for prohibition of liquor and other intoxicating drinks and drugs in spirit of the Article 47 read with Article 21 of the Constitution; to declare ‘first Sunday’ of every month as ‘Health Day’ for educating the people about ill-effects of cigarette, tobacco, liquors and other intoxicating drinks and harmful drugs and a direction to have a chapter on “ill-effects of cigarette, tobacco, liquors and other intoxicating drinks and drugs” in curriculum of the children aged 6 to 14 years.