Archive · 5 Sep 2026
Andhra Pradesh Seeks Curbs on Ethanol Sanitiser Sales
Andhra Pradesh wants stricter rules for selling some hand sanitisers.
These sanitisers contain ethanol, which is also found in alcoholic drinks.
Officials say some people in Vijayawada are drinking the sanitisers instead of liquor.
They also found shops selling unusually large amounts of them.
One pharmacy bought and sold about 33,586 small bottles in 18 months.
The government had originally made the products easier to sell during the Covid-19 pandemic.
That special rule has continued for four years.
Andhra Pradesh says ethanol-free sanitisers are now available and wants the rule changed to prevent misuse.
Andhra Pradesh has asked the Central government to withdraw the sale-licence exemption for ethanol-based hand sanitisers.
Officials say some people in Vijayawada are consuming the products as substitutes for liquor.
Inspections found some retail medical shops selling ethanol-based sanitisers in unusually large quantities.
Records showed Sai Venkateswara Pharmacy and Surgical sold about 33,586 100ml bottles of 70% ethanol sanitiser over 18 months.
Authorities have begun action to cancel the licences of three retail outlets.
- Who
- The Andhra Pradesh Drugs Control Administration, led by director general P. Arun Babu, made the request to the Central government and the Drugs Controller General of India.
- What
- The administration sought withdrawal of the exemption from sale licences for stocking and selling ethanol-based hand sanitisers.
- When
- The exemption was introduced through Notification S.O. 245(E) on July 27, 2020; the request was made after the exemption continued for four years.
- Where
- The reported misuse, inspections and sales records concern Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, including Patamata.
- Why
- Officials say some people are consuming ethanol-based sanitisers as liquor substitutes and that ethanol-free alternatives are now readily available.
Andhra Pradesh’s Public-Health Concern
Pandemic-Era Availability Rationale
Whether the exemption should continue
Andhra Pradesh’s Public-Health Concern
Andhra Pradesh officials want the sale-licence exemption withdrawn, saying it creates scope for ethanol-based sanitisers to be misused as substitutes for liquor.
Pandemic-Era Availability Rationale
The exemption was introduced by the Central government during the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure easy availability of hand sanitisers.
Current need for the exemption
Andhra Pradesh’s Public-Health Concern
The state says ethanol-free sanitisers are now readily available, so the exemption for ethanol-based products should be reviewed and withdrawn in the public interest.
Pandemic-Era Availability Rationale
The articles do not report a response from the Central government or the Drugs Controller General of India on whether the exemption remains necessary.
- Requesting authority
- Andhra Pradesh Drugs Control Administration
- State official
- P. Arun Babu, director general
- Central notification
- Notification S.O. 245(E), issued July 27, 2020
- Product involved
- Ethanol-based hand sanitiser containing 70% v/v ethanol
- Reported sales
- About 33,586 bottles of 100 ml each over approximately 18 months at Sai Venkateswara Pharmacy and Surgical in Patamata
- Enforcement action
- Licence-cancellation action initiated against three retail outlets
- Alternative cited
- Ethanol-free hand sanitisers are reportedly readily available
