The Supreme Court on Wednesday acknowledged the problems caused by the sale of alcohol in tetra packs, deceptively labelled as 'green apple vodka' or 'Chelly Mango Vodka', and agreed to examine an anti-drunken driving NGO's plea for standardization of excise policy for packaging and bottling of liquor across states.
NGO's Concerns Highlighted
Appearing for the petitioner NGO 'Campaign Against Drunken Driving' (CADD), advocate Vipin Nair told a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi that such deceptive sale of liquor in tetra packs, portable bottles and sachets increases the risk of under-age drinking and drunken driving. The bench, led by the CJI, noted that the problem lies in the 'very deceptive' packaging which may create a misconception that these packs contain fruit juice.
Call for Uniform Policy
Nair argued that excise departments across India must follow a uniform policy and standardize the packaging of liquor. The bench sought responses from all states and Union Territories to the public interest litigation.
The NGO stated: "These packages pose various risks, including consumption by juveniles, drinking in a moving vehicle, health risks, increased ease of smuggling, ease of public consumption, and environmental risks. Moreover, the tetra packs have attractive packaging with vivid colours but do not have prominent health warnings like in the case of cigarettes, which would dissuade people from drunken driving and responsible drinking."
It further said: "Such packaging, being deceptively similar to fruit juices, facilitates easy access and concealment, encourages underage consumption, promotes public drinking and drunk driving, and even enables smuggling across state borders."
Misleading Marketing
The NGO noted: "It is alarming to note that these tetra packs are marketed under labels such as 'Bunty Premium Vodka', 'Chelli Mango Vodka' and 'Premium Romanov Vodka – Apple Thrill' clearly intended to mislead consumers." It added: "The use of fruit names alongside colour photographs of apples and mangoes on the packaging further reinforces this deception. This reflects a deliberate marketing strategy to pass off alcoholic beverages as fruit juices, thereby to evade scrutiny by the authorities and further target underage consumers."
Proposed Solution
After pointing out the problem, the NGO said it could be solved by the Union government, which can guide the states to adopt a uniform liquor packaging policy that would not permit sale in deceptive tetra packs, enabling consumers—mostly youth and adolescents—to drink them in public places without any inhibition or fear of law.
