Seeking restrictions on drinking age akin to living in ivory tower: Delhi govt

The petition also sought to restrain the Delhi government from giving effect to the new Excise Policy 2021-22 which reduced the age of consuming alcohol from 25 to 21 years until a robust age verification mechanism is put in place.

The Delhi government on Tuesday told the high court that when the age of voting in the country is 18 years, seeking restrictions on the legal age for drinking is like living in an agony tower.

Delhi was one of only six states or union territories that pegged the benchmark at 25. (Unsplash)

“Nobody in the right mind supports drunken driving. Today the voting age for voting is 18 and to suggest that people above 18 cannot drink is to live in an ivory tower. Most states around Delhi have 18 (as the legal drinking age)…It does not mean that if you permit people above 18, you will allow drunken driving. There is an element of emotionality in this. Also there are very strict laws to check drunken driving,” senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Delhi government, said.

The submissions were made before a bench of chief justice DN Patel and justice Jyoti Singh during hearing on a plea that sought a robust mechanism for mandatory age check at liquor shops, bars and restaurants serving alcohol with government documents such as the Aadhaar card or the voter ID card.

The petition also sought to restrain the Delhi government from giving effect to the new Excise Policy 2021-22 which reduced the age of consuming alcohol from 25 to 21 years until a robust age verification mechanism is put in place.

Delhi was one of only six states or union territories that pegged the benchmark at 25. An expert committee set up by the government recommended in December that the legal drinking age be changed to 21.

Announcing the new legal drinking age in March, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that the government will introduce the system of “age-gating” in the city wherein persons below 21 years will not be allowed to enter any restaurant, pub or club that serves liquor by themselves. The change in rules is part of the new Delhi excise policy which aims to reform the city’s liquor business by improving user experience, cleaning up the liquor mafia and eradicating pilferage.

On August 9, the Delhi government told the high court that the decision to reduce the legal drinking age was taken to have parity with other states, especially neighbouring cities such as Noida and Ghaziabad.

Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, also for the Delhi government, told the court on Tuesday that people are trying to stall the new excise policy for one reason or another. He said drunken driving is not permissible under the law and the reduction in the age cannot be connected to it.

The court, while issuing notice on the plea by Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD), sought the response of the Delhi government.

The organisation, through activist Prince Singhal, has sought mandatory age checks at places selling and serving alcohol including bars, pubs, liquor vends and any food and beverage outlet.

“Since the Delhi government introduced the new excise policy and liberalised the alcohol policy bringing down the legal drinking age and increasing alcohol availability making the alcohol policy almost at par with countries in the west, it has become even more pertinent to strictly monitor age of consumer as is done in the western nations,” the petitioner said .

It also sought that the Delhi government be restrained from giving effect to the recent amendment made in the Excise Rules which permit the door step delivery of liquor until a robust age verification mechanism is instituted even for door delivery.

The matter will now be heard on September 17.