PIL calls for cancer warning on alcohol bottles, Bombay High Court seeks authorities’ response

In a plea submitted through advocate Pooja Phagnekar, Chilwar said, “When a consumer purchases a product, it is his/her right to know about the contents and information in their pristine and entire form.”

The petition referred to a June 25, 2024, report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization, which highlighted the alarming number of over 3 million deaths due to alcohol consumption and required urgent intervention.

The petition stated that the WHO has declared alcohol as a Class I carcinogen, but this vital fact remains uncommunicated on bottles. It noted that Ireland and South Korea “have already mandated warnings linking any level of alcohol consumption to cancer”. The petitioner added that the US surgeon-general’s advisory stated that alcohol is the cause of at least seven types of cancers and that “labelling of cancer risk is found essential considering the ongoing situation”.

The petition also referred to Article 47 of the Constitution, which lays down one of the directive principles for the state—that it shall endeavour to bring about the prohibition of intoxicating drinks and drugs that are injurious to health.

In light of this, the petitioner argued that due to the significant health risk involved in alcohol consumption, cancer warnings on bottles would not merely be labels but a necessity. “It would help people who are unable to access this vital consequence of consumption of alcohol. Awareness of several health hazards is likely to lead to a significant reduction in alcohol consumption,” the plea stated.

The plea further added that “dangerous products”, like cigarettes and tobacco packets, have cancer-warning labels, and risk warnings on alcohol bottles would “reduce the ill effects and overuse of alcohol consumption”.

The plea also sought directions to the Centre to frame rules for the effective implementation of cancer warnings in a time-bound manner.

A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati H Dangre issued notices to the respondent authorities, seeking their response during the next hearing.