A person consumes liquor on the business premises of a chemist in Bihar. Under the Bihar Prohibition…

A person consuming liquor on a chemist's premises falls under s.37(1) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, as substituted by the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022. It applies to whoever consumes liquor or intoxicant at any place, or is found drunk, within any premises or outside. He is arrested, produced before the nearest Executive Magistrate and released on paying the penalty notified by the State Government (s.39(2), which formerly punished such a consumer separately with imprisonment of five to seven years and a fine of not less than ₹1 lakh, was deleted by the same 2022 Act).

Section 39, as it now stands, punishes only the chemist, druggist, apothecary or keeper of a dispensary who allows the consumption. Section 40 deals with advertisements soliciting the use of liquor.