Alcohol law

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A warning sign in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Alcohol laws are laws in relation to the manufacture, use, influence and sale of ethanol (ethyl alcohol, EtOH) or alcoholic beverages that contains ethanol.

History

Temperance movement

Alcohol law by country

Prohibition

Outright prohibition of alcohol

Some countries forbid alcoholic beverages, or have forbidden them in the past. People trying to get around prohibition turn to smuggling of alcohol – known as bootlegging or rum-running – or make moonshine, a distilled beverage in an unlicensed still.

Canada

The legal drinking age in Canada is 18 in Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta, and 19 everywhere else.

India

In India, manufacture, sale and/or consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the states of Gujarat, Manipur and Nagaland,^[1] as well as the union territory of Lakshadweep. Prohibition has become controversial in Gujarat, following a July 2009 episode in which widespread poisoning resulted from alcohol that had been sold illegally.^[2]

All Indian states observe dry days on major religious festivals/occasions depending on the popularity of the festival in that region. Dry Days are specific days when the sale of alcohol is banned, although consumption is permitted. Dry days are also observed on voting days. Dry Days are fixed by the respective state government. National holidays such as Republic Day (January 26), Independence Day (August 15) and Gandhi Jayanthi (October 2) are usually dry days throughout India.

Nordic countries

Two Nordic countries (Finland,^[3] and Norway^[4]) had a period of alcohol Prohibition in the early 20th century.

In Sweden, prohibition was heavily discussed, but never introduced, replaced by strict rationing and later by more lax regulation, which included allowing alcohol to be sold on Saturdays.

Following the end of prohibition, government alcohol monopolies were established with detailed restrictions and high taxes. Some of these restrictions have since been lifted. For example, supermarkets in Finland are allowed to sell only fermented beverages with an alcohol content up to 4.7% ABV, but Alko, the government monopoly, is allowed to sell wine and spirits. This is also the case with the Norwegian Vinmonopolet and the Swedish Systembolaget (though in Sweden the limit for allowed ABV in supermarkets is 3.5%).

United States

Detroit police inspecting equipment found in a clandestine brewery during the Prohibition era.

In the United States, there was an attempt from 1919 to 1933 to eliminate the drinking of alcoholic beverages by means of a national prohibition of their manufacture and sale. This period became known as the Prohibition era. During this time, the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States made the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the United States.

Prohibition led to the unintended consequence of causing widespread disrespect for the law, as many people procured alcoholic beverages from illegal sources. In this way, a lucrative business was created for illegal producers and sellers of alcohol, which led to the development of organized crime. As a result, Prohibition became extremely unpopular, which ultimately led to the repeal of the 18th Amendment in 1933 via the adoption of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution.

Prior to national Prohibition, beginning in the late 19th century, many states and localities had enacted Prohibition within their jurisdictions. After the repeal of the 18th Amendment, some localities (known as dry counties) continued to ban the sale of alcohol.

Majority-Muslim countries

Some majority-Muslim countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Sudan, and Libya prohibit the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages because they are forbidden by Islam.^{[citation needed]}^[5]^[6]^[7]

Drunk driving laws

Most countries have drunk driving laws which limit how much alcohol a person can consume before driving a car on a road. The permitted blood alcohol content threshold ranges from 0.0% to 0.08%.

Punishments for violation include fines, temporary or permanent loss of driver's license, and imprisonment. Some jurisdictions have similar prohibitions for drunk sailing, drunk bicycling, and even drunk rollerblading. In many places in the United States, it is also illegal to have an open container of an alcoholic beverage in the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

Prohibition of drinking alcohol in public places

A sign prohibiting the drinking of alcohol in a public place in Victoria, Australia

Asia

India

Drinking alcohol in public is prohibited.^{[citation needed]}

Japan

Japan allows open containers in some public areas, such as certain streets and trains, and allows alcoholic beverages to be sold from vending machines, which shut down at a specific time of night. Public drunkenness is not illegal in Japan.^{[citation needed]}

Pakistan

After its independence in 1947, Pakistani law was fairly liberal regarding liquor laws. Major cities had a culture of drinking, and alcohol was readily available until the 1970s when prohibition was introduced for Muslim citizens. Since then, Pakistan's majority Muslim population has been unable to legally buy alcohol, and advertising for alcoholic beverages has been outlawed.^{[citation needed]} However it remains widely available in urban Pakistan through bootleggers and also through the diplomatic staff of some minor countries.^[8]

Europe

Restrictions by country (table)

Open container laws by country: Albania-Liechtenstein
Country	Consumption of alcohol in public banned?^[9]
Country	Educational buildings	Government offices	Healthcare establishments	Parks and streets	Sporting events	Public transport	Workplaces
Albania	???
Andorra	???
Austria	voluntary/self-restricted³			no⁴		voluntary/self-restricted³
Belarus	???
Belgium	partial restriction²	voluntary/self-restricted³	partial restriction²	no⁴		voluntary/self-restricted³
Bosnia and Herzegovina	???
Bulgaria	voluntary/self-restricted³			no⁴		voluntary/self-restricted³
Croatia	???
Cyprus	yes¹			partial restriction²		yes¹	voluntary/self-restricted³
Belarus	???
Czech Republic	yes¹			no		voluntary/self-restricted³	yes¹
Denmark	voluntary/self-restricted³		no⁴			voluntary/self-restricted³
Estonia	partial restriction²	no⁴	yes¹		no⁴	partial restriction²	no⁴
Finland	yes¹			partial restriction²		yes¹
France	partial restriction²			no⁴		yes¹	partial restriction²
Germany	voluntary/self-restricted³	no⁴				voluntary/self-restricted³	no⁴
Greece	no⁴				partial restriction²	yes¹	no⁴
Hungary	yes¹			no⁴	partial restriction²		yes¹
Iceland	yes¹				no⁴	voluntary/self-restricted³
Ireland	partial restriction²	voluntary/self-restricted³		partial restriction²			voluntary/self-restricted³
Italy	partial restriction²	voluntary/self-restricted³	partial restriction²	no⁴			partial restriction²
Latvia	yes¹			partial restriction²			yes¹
Liechtenstein	voluntary/self-restricted³			no⁴		partial restriction²	no⁴

Open container laws by country: Lithuania-United Kingdom
Country	Consumption of alcohol in public banned?^[9]
Country	Educational buildings	Government offices	Healthcare establishments	Parks and streets	Sporting events	Public transport	Workplaces
Lithuania	yes¹	partial restriction²	yes¹		partial restriction²	yes¹
Luxembourg	yes¹	no⁴	voluntary/self-restricted³	no⁴
Macedonia	???
Malta	partial restriction²		yes¹	partial restriction²
Moldova	???
Monaco	???
Montenegro	???
Netherlands	partial restriction²						voluntary/self-restricted³
Norway	???
Poland	yes¹		voluntary/self-restricted³	yes¹	partial restriction²		yes¹
Portugal	partial restriction²		yes¹	partial restriction²
Romania	yes¹
Russia	???
San Marino	???
Serbia	???
Slovakia	yes¹		partial restriction²		voluntary/self-restricted³	yes¹
Slovenia	yes¹			voluntary/self-restricted³	yes¹	no⁴	yes¹
Spain	yes¹	partial restriction²			yes¹	no⁴	partial restriction²
Sweden	partial restriction²	voluntary/self-restricted³				partial restriction²	voluntary/self-restricted³
Switzerland	partial restriction²	no⁴	voluntary/self-restricted³	no⁴		voluntary/self-restricted³	no⁴
Turkey	???
Ukraine	???
United Kingdom	voluntary/self-restricted³	no⁴				partial restriction²	voluntary/self-restricted³

¹	yes = the consumption of alcohol is prohibited by law, violation may result in punishment.
²	partial restriction = in some states, regions, municipalities or cities the consumption of alcohol is prohibited by law and/or the consumption is restricted at certain places but not generally prohibited.
³	voluntary/self-restricted = the consumption of alcohol is not prohibited by law, but (some) establishments may have own regulations prohibiting or regulating the consumption of alcohol voluntary.
⁴	no = the consumption of alcohol is legal.

North America

United States

Drinking alcohol in public places, such as streets and parks, is against the law in most of the United States, though there is no specific federal law that forbids consumption of alcohol in public.^{[citation needed]} Moreover, even when a state (such as Nevada, Louisiana, and Missouri) has no such ban, the vast majority of its cities and counties do have it. Some cities allow it in specified area such as on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, or during public festivals. Two notable exceptions are New Orleans, Louisiana, and Butte, Montana, which allow public consumption of alcoholic beverages anywhere in the city.

South America

Brazil

It is legal and usually socially acceptable to drink alcohol in public areas.

Chile

It is illegal to drink alcohol in any public place or unlicensed facilities. The law may or may not be enforced, depending on the location, time of the day and the behaviour of the offender. Penalties may include confiscation/destruction of the liquor, fines and/or arrest.

Legal drinking age

Most countries have prescribed a legal drinking age which prohibits the purchase of alcohol by minors. Most countries also prohibit the consumption of alcohol to minors. Some countries have a tiered structure that limits the sale of stronger alcoholic drinks to older adults (typically based upon the percentage of ABV) Other restrictions that some countries impose is based on the place in which alcohol is consumed, such as in the home, in a restaurant, or in a bar. The age at which these restrictions come to an end varies significantly from country to country, as does the degree to which it is enforced, which can also vary within a country.

Asia

India

In India, the legal minimum age for buying and drinking alcohol is 18 to 25 years, depending on the state.^{[citation needed]}

Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the states of Gujarat and Mizoram.

South Korea

In South Korea, the legal minimum age for buying and drinking alcohol is 19.^{[citation needed]}

Europe

Minimum age to purchase alcohol in Europe as of 2015:

Minimum age of 20 years

Minimum age of 18 years

Minimum age of 17 years

Minimum age of 16 years

For further details see table below.

The minimum age to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages varies by country, and sometimes by state or region (e.g. Spain and Austria). Most European countries have a minimum purchase age of 18 years, while a few remain with a purchase age of 16 years. In the past years there has been an attitude towards raising the minimum age to 18 years to bring them into line with other countries, and to protect children and juveniles from the mental and physical harm of alcohol. In the past 15 years^[when?] following changes have occurred:

In 2002 the autonomous communities Madrid,^[10] Valencia^[11] and Catalonia^[12] raised their minimum purchase age to 18 years. Previous to 2002 Valencia and Madrid had a minimum purchase age of 16 years, and in Catalonia minors aged 16 or 17 could purchase alcohol up to 23% ABV on and off premises.
In 2004 Denmark^[13] raised its off premises purchase age from 15 to 16 years.
In November 2005 Switzerland passed its "Food and Commodities Regulation"^[14] (German: Lebensmittel- und Gebrauchsgegenständeverordnung), introducing a ban on alcohol sales to anyone under the age of 16, although the 1980 passed "Alcohol Law"^[15] (German: Alkoholgesetz) already required a minimum age of 18 years for the retail sale of distilled spirits. Therefore, it is illegal to sell fermented alcohol (e.g. beer, wine, sparkling wine or cider) to anyone under the age of 16, and any distilled alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 18 years. Further the canton of Ticino introduced a contonal law in 1989 banning all alcohol sales to anyone under the age of 18 years.^[16]
In 2006 the autonomous communitie Castile and León^[17] raised its minimum purchase age from 16 to 18 years.
In late 2006, Gibraltar^[18] lawmakers passed the "Children and Young Persons (Alcohol, Tobacco and Gaming) Act 2006", which raised the minimum purchase age from 16 to 18 years. But the new law made an exception: minors aged 16 or 17 can purchase and consume on premises beer, wine or cider under 15% ABV or pre-packed containers of an alcoholic strength not exceeding 5.5% ABV (e.g. alcopops).
In 2009 France^[19] raised its minimum purchase age to 18 years, and fines were increased for selling or serving alcohol to a minor (up to 7,500 €). Previous to 2009 the minimum age to purchase any alcohol from off licensed premises was 16 years. In order to purchase alcohol on premises the minimum age was 16 years for low alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, cider, perry, mead, crème de cassis and juices from fermented fruits or vegetables that contain 1.2 to 3° alcohol, natural sweet wines from controlled cultivation – to purchase or be served stronger alcoholic drinks one had to be 18 years of age.
In October 2009, the government of Malta^[20] passed a new law raising its drinking and purchase age from 16 to 17 years.
In 2010 the autonomous community of Galicia raised its minimum purchase age from 16 to 18 years.^[21]
In 2011 Denmark^[22] passed a new law, raising the minimum age for off-premises sale of alcohol >16.5% ABV to 18 years of age. The age to purchase alcohol <16.5% ABV remained at 16.
Italy raised its minimum purchase age from 16 to 18 in 2012. Previously Italy did not have a purchase age for off-premises sales, and the minimum age of 16 years for on premises sales was barely enforced. After the new law was passed banning sales of alcohol to anyone under 18 (Legge n 189/2012), the old regulation (L’art. 689 del codice penale) was still valid which caused problems with enforcing the law: many bars and restaurants continued to serve 16- and 17-year-olds, because they claimed that the new regulation would only affect off-premises sales while the old regulation would separately regulate the minimum age to be served in on-licensed establishment. Later that year the ministry of health published a circular which clearly stated that "serving" and "selling" alcohol in this context have the same meaning which raised the de jure minimum age for on license sales to 18.^[23]
In 2013 the government of Portugal restricted alcohol sales to young people: distilled spirits can not be sold to anyone under the age of 18, and other alcohol (e.g. beer, wine or cider) can't be sold to anyone under the age of 16. Previously the minimum age for all kinds of alcoholic beverages was 16 years.^[24]
As of 1 January 2014, the minimum legal purchase and consumption age was raised from 16 to 18 in the Netherlands. Previously young people over the age of 16 could purchase and consume alcohol <15% ABV, and adults aged 18 and over could purchase alcohol over 15% ABV.^[25]
As of March 2015, the autonomous community of Asturias raised its drinking age from 16 to 18 years. Asturias was Spain's last community with a drinking age of 16 years. The new law brings the drinking age into line with the rest of Spain.^[26]

Minimum age by country (table)

Minimum purchase and consumption age by country: Albania–Liechtenstein
Country	Minimum purchase age				Minimum consumption age				Notes^[27]
Country	On premises		Off premises		Public		Private		Notes^[27]
	LA¹	HA²	LA¹	HA²	LA¹	HA²	LA¹	HA²
Albania	18				None
Andorra	18				None
Austria	16				16		None		Burgenland, Lower Austria and Vienna.
Austria	16³	18³	16³	18³	16³	18³	None		Carinthia, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg.^[28]
Belarus	18				18		None
Belgium	16³	18³	16³	18³	None				^[29]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	18				None				^[30]
Bulgaria	18				None				^[31]
Croatia	18				None				^[32]
Cyprus	17				17		None		^[33]
Belarus	18				18
Czech Republic	18				None
Denmark	18		16⁴	18⁴	None				Previous to 2011 the age limit for all off premises sales was 16. Previous to 2004 the age limit for all off premises sales was 15.^[34]^[35]
Estonia	18				18				^[36]
Finland	18		18⁵	20⁵	18⁵	20⁵	18⁵	20⁵	^[37]
France	18				None				Minimum age raised from 16 to 18 in 2009.^[38]
Germany	16³	18³	16³	18³	16³	18³	None		Age limit for LA is 14 if accompanied by parent.^[39]
Greece	18				None				^[40]
Hungary	18				18
Iceland	20				20
Ireland	18				18		None		^[41]
Italy	18				None				Minimum age raised from 16 to 18 in 2012.^[42]
Latvia	18				None				^[43]
Liechtenstein	16³	18³	16³	18³	16³	18³	None		^[44]

Minimum purchase and consumption age by country: Lithuania–United Kingdom
Country	Minimum purchase age				Minimum consumption age				Notes^[27]
Country	On premises		Off premises		Public		Private		Notes^[27]
	LA¹	HA²	LA¹	HA²	LA¹	HA²	LA¹	HA²
Lithuania	18				18				^[45]
Luxembourg	16				None				^[46]
Macedonia	18				None				^[47]
Malta	17				17		None		^[48]
Moldova	16				None				^[49]
Monaco	16				None
Montenegro	18				None				^[50]
Netherlands	18				18		None		^[25]
Norway	18⁵	20⁵	18⁵	20⁵	None				^[51]
Poland	18				None				^[52]
Portugal	16³	18³	16³	18³	16³	18³	None		Minimum age for spirits was raised from 16 to 18 in 2013.^[53]
Romania	18				18		None		^[54]
Russia	18				None				^[55]
San Marino	16				None				^[56]
Serbia	18				None				^[57]
Slovakia	18				18				^[58]
Slovenia	18				None				^[59]
Spain	18				None				^[60] Minimum age raised from 16 to 18 in 2015 in Asturias, 2010 in Galicia, 2006 in Castile and León and in 2002 in Madrid, Valencia and Catalonia.
Sweden	18		18⁶	20⁶	18⁶	20⁶	None		^[61]
Switzerland	16³	18³	16³	18³	None				^[62]^[63]
Switzerland	18				None				The canton Ticino prohibits selling any type of alcohol to minors under the age of 18.^[64]
Turkey	18				None
Ukraine	18				None
United Kingdom	18⁷				16/18⁸	18	5		England and Wales.^[65]^[66]
	16/18⁷⁹	18	18		16/18⁹	18	None		Scotland.^[67]
	18				18		None		Northern Ireland.^[68]

¹	LA = Low alcoholic beverages
²	HA = High alcoholic beverages
³	Differentiation between fermented alcoholic beverages (LA) and distilled spirits (HA).
⁴	Differentiation between alcoholic beverages <16.5% ABV (LA) and ≥16.5% ABV (HA).
⁵	Differentiation between alcoholic beverages <22% ABV (LA) and ≥22% ABV (HA).
⁶	Differentiation between alcoholic beverages <3.5% ABV (LA) and ≥3.5% ABV (HA).
⁷	Minimum age to purchase liqueur confectionery is 16.
⁸	Minimum age to consume beer, wine or cider on premises is 16, if ordered with a meal and adult supervision is present.
⁹	Minimum age to purchase and consume beer, wine or cider on premises is 16, if ordered with a meal.

North America, Central America and the Caribbean

Minimum age to purchase alcohol in North America as of 2015:

Minimum age of 21 years

Minimum age of 19 years

Minimum age of 18 years

For further details see table below.

Minimum age to purchase alcohol in Central America and the Caribbean as of 2015:

Minimum age of 18 years

Minimum age of 16 years

For further details see table below.

The minimum legal drinking age varies by country. Most have established minimum purchase age of 18 years, while few such as Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, British Virgin Islands and Grenada remain with a minimum purchase age of 16 years. The highest age limit applies to the United States, where the sale and consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited to those under the age of 21, followed by Canada with a minimum legal drinking and purchase age of 19 years, except for Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec where the age limit is 18.