The Supreme Court of India has struck down provisions of the Maharashtra Poisons Rules requiring methanol to be mixed with specified colorants and bitterants prior to industrial sale, holding that such restrictions fail the constitutional tests of reasonableness and proportionality under Article 19(1)(g).

Court Warns Against 'Forced Temperance' and Hooch Tragedies

A Bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K. Vinod Chandran noted that while methanol is a hazardous chemical requiring regulation, forcing chemical adulteration does not curb the craving for alcohol and fails to prevent hooch tragedies.

Key Takeaways and Legal Principles

  • Prohibition Drives Underground Trade: Quoting Mark Twain, the Bench observed that complete alcohol prohibition often drives drunkenness "behind doors and into dark places," leading to illegal distillation, loss of tax revenue, enforcement corruption, and the proliferation of lethal brews.
  • Unconstitutional Restrictions: Requiring industrial methanol manufacturers to mix bitterants and dyes was held to lack a proximate, reasonable nexus with preventing spurious liquor consumption.
  • Directives for Strict Transportation Controls: Rather than forcing chemical changes, the Court ordered stricter regulatory measures on methanol storage and transportation, directing that vehicles seized for transport violations should not be routinely released on bond.

The Court further instructed states and Union Territories to set up specialized emergency medical cells to handle mass casualties during spurious liquor incidents.