The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Centre, states and the Union Territories on a PIL seeking a mandatory age-verification system at all points of liquor sale, creating a uniform framework for alcohol regulation and reducing and preventing the increasing menace of drink driving.
A bench of Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K.V. Viswanathan issued notices to the respondents on the PIL filed under Article 32 of the Constitution by the Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD), a non-government organisation that has been working for 23 years to prevent alcohol-related tragedies.
Initially, the bench expressed reservations as to whether it could pass such a directive since enforcing it might be difficult. However, upon persistent appeals by senior advocate P.B. Suresh, appearing for the NGO, the court issued notices for response.
The petition filed through advocate-on-record Vipin Nair has highlighted the stark disparities in the legal drinking age across different states in India. While Goa permits alcohol consumption from the age of 18, Delhi maintains a higher threshold at 25 years. This variation extends to other states as well — Maharashtra prescribes 25 years, while Karnataka and Tamil Nadu allow drinking at 18.
The petitioners have sought definitive directions from the Supreme Court to implement a robust policy for establishing a mandatory age-verification system at all points of alcohol sale.
The PIL draws attention to the correlation between underage drinking and criminal behaviour. According to studies cited in the PIL, early exposure to alcohol significantly increases the risk of violent offences, including robbery, sexual assault and homicide.
The NGO also highlighted the recent Pune car accident case where two youths were killed by a minor driving under the influence of alcohol. The petition emphasises that 42.3 per cent of boys in the age group of 18-25 years had their first alcoholic drink before turning 18, and 90 per cent of them could freely procure liquor from vendors without any age verification.
