Alcohol may be banned for those below 21
10 Nov 2008, Vikas Bhardwaj, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: Following the crackdown on smoking, the health ministry is now planning to shift focus to alcohol, with a plan to make 21 years as the uniform age all over the country for\consumption of alcohol. While most states already have rules prohibiting alcohol consumption by people below 21 years of age, Karnataka, Goa and Uttar Pradesh allow alcohol consumption for those older than 18 years. In Delhi, it is an offence for anyone below 25 years to consume alcohol.

The health ministry’s move is part of the National Policy on Alcohol Control. Through this policy, the ministry also plans to address issues like restriction on hours of sale and density of outlets. For this, it is planning to set up a steering committee at national level involving all stakeholders. The policy is expected to be ready in three months after obtaining suggestions from experts and scientists.

The health minister had earlier said the policy would largely be recommendatory in nature because prohibition is a state subject. “The policy is in the initial stage of formulation. We will involve all stakeholders and form a policy after national consultation which will provide a road map for regulating the sale of alcohol across the country,” a source in the ministry of health said.
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