Bombay HC notice to Centre, Maharashtra on PIL plea seeking cancer warning labels on alcohol bottles

Bombay High Court issues notices for cancer warning labels on alcohol bottles, citing health risks and legal obligations.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday (January 30, 2025) issued notices to the Centre and Maharashtra government and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) seeking their response to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition that has sought cancer warning labels on alcohol bottles.   

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre issued notices to the respondent authorities to submit their response to the plea.

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Yash Chilwar, 24, a Pune-based social activist who works in the information technology sector, has approached the High Court through advocate Pooja Phagnekar. The petitioner claims that skipping the cancer warning mention on the labels of alcohol bottles endangers lives of the public.

Mr. Chilwar, in his petition, claims that he has personally encountered issues due to alcohol and that certain solutions, if implemented, can reduce the ill-effects and lead to a sophisticated and better society. 

Article 47 of the Constitution is one of the Directive Principles which directs the state to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health as among its primary duties and, in particular, the state shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of intoxicating drinks and drugs which are injurious to health, the petitioner submitted.  

“The Constitution gives State governments the power to make laws on intoxicating liquors. These include production, manufacture, possession, transport, purchase, and sale of intoxicating liquors. The Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations Act, 2018 states about Specific Labelling Requirements for Alcoholic Beverages which incorporates declaration of alcohol content, labelling of standard drink, no health claim on alcoholic beverage,” the petition mentioned.