Herbal syrups, cough syrups linked to child deaths still circulating secretly in Gujarat

Authorities in Gujarat are under scrutiny after reports revealed that certain batches of cough syrup linked to the deaths of several children across India were manufactured in the state.

As the cough syrup scandal came up following that the two-year-old controversy over herbal syrups allegedly used as alcohol substitutes among youth has resurfaced.

According to reports, the illegal trade of intoxicating syrups for profit has become common. While authorities had previously cracked down on open sales of herbal syrups at paan stalls and salons, the business has reportedly shifted underground.

Investigations by the state’s Food and Drugs Department have found that raw materials used to produce the toxic cough syrups were supplied from companies based in Ahmedabad and Surendranagar. The department has now launched a large-scale probe into 526 manufacturing units producing cough syrups or their raw materials.

Earlier, Gujarat had witnessed the herbal syrup scandal, where products sold as Ayurvedic medicine for stomach ailments were found to generate alcohol naturally through fermentation. These syrups were being sold for around ₹150 per chilled bottle and reportedly produced intoxication equivalent to 12-14% alcohol content.

Police investigations had previously uncovered factories in Changodar and even traced a supply chain from Punjab to Gujarat. Several arrests, including that of Ahmedabad-based distributor Chirag Thobani, had exposed a widespread illegal network spanning multiple districts.

Despite these actions, sources claim that the underground sale of such intoxicating syrups continues in major cities including Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Jamnagar, Junagadh, and Kutch.