The Kerala High Court has stayed the Kerala Government's directive to supply liquor to those suffering from alcohol dependence syndrome based on doctors' prescriptions.
The court observed that directing doctors to prescribe alcohol to those suffering from alcoholism could be only considered as a prescribing a disaster. The court stayed the government directive for three weeks and sought the Kerala government's response.
The court was considering a batch of petitions including that of a Kerala Government Medical Officers' Association and some doctors.
Even as the Kerala government issued the directive in this regard the other day, it was not implemented.
After liquor sales were stopped in Kerala following lockdown, four persons committed suicide in the state suspected to be due to withdrawal syndrome and a large number of persons approached hospitals. Citing this scenario Kerala government decided that those suffering from withdrawal syndrome may be provided a maximum of three-litre liquor a week based on doctor's prescription and the Kerala State Beverages Corporation, which is the sole distributor of liquor in the state, decided to deliver liquor at doorsteps of the needy.