The police in Kanyakumari raided and sealed 10 Ayurvedic drug manufacturing firms and pharmacies in different parts of the district found to have been manufacturing and selling 'arishtams' (ayurvedic concoctions) with high alcohol content.

The raid was conducted a few days ago among many small scale Ayurveda drug making units, their outlets and pharmacies located in and around places like Amaravathi, Nullivilai, Manavalankurichi, Samivilai, Pottalvilakku, Pilavilai, Erachakulam, Krishankoil, North Tamaraikulam etc. in Kanyakumari district. Following complaints from the public, the Kanyakumari District Collector Rajesh Lakhani had directed the District Superintendent of Police M Ramasubramani to initiate action. The firms were selling arishtams as intoxicant to interested tipplers under the guise of medicines, said sources.

However, it was not clear whether the units had licenses to manufacture and sell the spirituous preparations, which often contain an active ingredient of some of the Ayurvedic drugs. When Pharmabiz contacted the Drug Controller, Tamil Nadu, he said that he was not aware of the action and had no clue on such practice prevailing among the Ayurvedic units and pharmacies in the region.

As per the rules, it is mandatory to have the drug license, besides license from the State Excise department applied in L2 and L3 forms, and license to sell spirituous preparations applied under the SP6 and SP7 forms to manufacture and sell such concoctions, said a source in Kerala having over 800 licensed drug units manufacturing such traditional medicines.

The sources said some of the traditional Ayurvedic concoctions have self-generated alcohol content, when fermented and added with herbs like Pippily flower. Some manufacturers change the fermentation method to have high alcohol content, and push these products through their own outlets and pharmacy network as medicines with intoxicant properties. Some of these innovators even illegally brew original alcohol and add to the arishtams.

Though none of the established Ayurvedic manufacturers would resort to such clandestine intoxicant selling, the practice has been prevalent among many minor players who try to make quick money under the guise of medicine sales. Some of the popular Ayurvedic arishtams with intoxication properties include the popular Draksharishtam, Pippilasavam, Dashamoolarishtam etc. Such medicines have demand among tipplers as a substitute for alcohol for its cheaper but high intoxication properties, said sources.