Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979

80 Prohibition of use of methylated spirits, etc. as a beverage or medicine

(1) If any person—

(a) prepares or attempts to prepare any liquor to which this section applies for use as a beverage or as a mixture with a beverage; or

(b) sells any such liquor, whether so prepared or not, as a beverage or mixed with a beverage ; or

(c) uses any such liquor or any derivative thereof in the preparation of any article capable of being used wholly or partially as a beverage or internally as a medicine; or

(d) sells or has in his possession any such article in the preparation of which any such liquor or any derivative thereof has been used ; or

(e) except as permitted by the Commissioners and in accordance with any conditions imposed by them, purifies or attempts to purify any such liquor or, after any such liquor has once been used, recovers or attempts to recover the spirit or alcohol contained therein by distillation or condensation or in any other manner,

he shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of £100 and the liquor in respect of which the offence was committed shall be liable to forfeiture.

(2) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the use of any liquor to which this section applies or any derivative thereof—

(a) in the preparation for use as a medicine of sulphuric ether, chloroform, or any other article which the Commissioners may by order specify ; or

(b) in the making for external use only of any article sold or supplied in accordance with regulations made by the Commissioners under section 77 above ; or

(c) in any art or manufacture,

or the sale or possession of any article permitted to be prepared or made by virtue of paragraph (a) or (b) above where the article is sold or possessed for use as mentioned in that paragraph.

(3) The liquors to which this section applies are methylated spirits, methyl alcohol, and any mixture containing methylated spirits or methyl alcohol.