Madras High Court suggests limiting liquor business hours

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu state government and TASMAC to consider limiting liquor business hours to between 2pm and 8pm.

The court muted the proposal on hearing of a batch of petitions seeking for a direction to implement licencing system for sale and purchase of alcoholic beverages and to restrict the business hours of TASMAC liquor outlets.

The court also proposed that the union government should instruct the state government and the Director General of Police to impose a licencing system for sale, purchase and usage of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).

On this matter, the court viewed, "Statutory warnings are intended to instill a sense of fear, but they have had very little effect on human attitudes and behaviour towards alcohol consumption. It is also a sorry state of affairs that people less than 21 years, who are specifically prohibited from drinking alcohol, are in fact addicted to it. Therefore, it is incumbent on the state government to reduce alcohol dependence and addiction as a public health measure by restricting and effectively regulating its sale and consumption."