Citing ‘dry’ Gujarat, Supreme Court says prohibition does not end alcoholism, hooch tragedies
The Indian Supreme Court has criticized Gujarat's long-standing alcohol prohibition policy, arguing it fails to prevent hooch tragedies and instead fosters illegal trade and corruption. The court ruled that restrictive rules on methanol purchase were unconstitutional and arbitrary, failing to address the root causes of spurious liquor deaths.
Why it matters
This ruling challenges the efficacy of prohibitionist policies in India and highlights the public health risks associated with unregulated alcohol markets.
Forced temperance is no solution for alcoholism, the Supreme Court has observed in a judgment, while pointing to the consistent failure of Gujarat, a ‘dry State’ with a strict prohibition policy, in preventing hooch tragedies and the deaths of hundreds of people.
“The State of Gujarat has witnessed at least 10 major mass hooch tragedies since the State’s formation, and Independence, claiming the lives of over 600 people. Despite the State of Gujarat maintaining a strict prohibition policy since its creation in 1960, hooch tragedies ( laththa laced with methanol) have rapidly led to severe public health crises,” Justice J.B. Pardiwala, heading a Division Bench, said.
A total ban on alcohol only succeeds in sending the liquor trade underground, increasing the prevalence of unregulated, lethal brews, the court said.
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