List of countries with alcohol prohibition explained

The following countries or territories have or had comprehensive prohibitions against alcohol. Particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Present

Currently, alcohol prohibition is enforced in many Muslim majority countries, Indigenous Australian communities (due to alcohol-fuelled violence), certain northern communities in the Canadian territories^[1] and some regions of India. They can range from complete ban all the way to bans on sales during certain times.^[2]

• ^[3]
• (illegal in public, legal in restaurants, bars, hotels and homes)^[4]
• (license required; illegal during Ramadan)^[5]
• (Non-Muslims over 17 years of age may have a limited amount of alcohol, but must declare it to the customs authorities on arrival, and must consume it in private)^[6]
  • • (in some communities)
  • (in some communities)
  • (in some communities)^[7]
  • (in some communities)^[8]
• (prohibited in public places, except for bars and restaurants. Sale is banned countrywide on election days.^[9]
• Comoros (for Muslims during Ramadan)^[10]
  • Egypt illegal to drink in public places and during Ramadan.
• ^[11]
  • ^[12]
    • • • • ^{[13] [14]}
• (territory only)^[15]
• (home production legal for Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians; commercial production illegal)^[16]
• (parliamentary ban, rarely enforced)^[17]
• (selling in stores between 10 p.m. and 10:30 a.m (12:30 p.m. on Sundays) is illegal, pubs are confined to set hours for sale of alcohol)^[18]
• (selling in stores between 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. is illegal; serving at bars, restaurants and clubs always legal,^{[19] [20]})
• (excludes non-Muslims)
• ^[21]
• (excluding non-Muslims; some states ban drinking in public)
  • ^[22]
  • ^[23]
• (legal for foreigners at licensed establishments; transport of alcohol illegal)^[24]
• ^[25]
• (Alcohol must be purchased and consumed in licensed hotels, bars, and tourist areas as well as being sold in most major supermarkets^[26])
• (Only sold in stores within a certain time period on weekdays. Illegal to drink in public, except at bars and restaurants. Nightclubs and bars are not allowed to serve after 3 a.m. Alcohol stronger than 4.7% is only sold in designated stores (Vinmonopolet), but beer or cider of 4.7% or less can be bought in grocery stores.)^[27]
• (legal for non-Muslim foreigners at restaurants, hotels and bars; at home with license; illegal in public)^[28]
• (illegal for Muslims; public consumption illegal)^[29]
• (De facto illegal in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip only, legal in the West Bank)
• (sales on election day and the day before; foreigners allowed on these days on establishments with permits)^[30]
• (legal for tourists at hotels and bars as well as expatriates with permits)^[31]
• ^{[32] [33]} (excludes foreign diplomats)
• ^[34]
• (excluding non-Muslims in private)^[35]
• (sales only banned on Fridays and during Ramadan)
• (illegal on trains, airplanes, and ferries as well as sports facilities; sales banned on weekends and holidays unless at bars and restaurants)^[36]
• (dry counties for sales)
• (In alcohol cannot be sold in shops before 10:00, or after 22:00, sales in bars, pubs, nightclubs and other licensed establishments is permitted)
• (illegal, before the war, there were exceptions for tourists at certain hotels in Aden and Sana'a)^[37]
• (illegal in Sharjah; public consumption illegal)^[38]

Past

• 1918–1920 (see prohibition in Canada)
• 1907–1992 (see 1907 Faroese alcohol referendum)
• 1919–1932^[39]
• March 21August 1, 1919Sale and consumption of alcohol was prohibited^[40] (partial ban from July 23).^[41]
• 1915–1935 (see prohibition in Iceland)However beer with an alcohol content exceeding 2.25% was prohibited until 1989.
• 1962–1990
• 1916–1926, distilled spirits banned; 1917-1923 fortified wines banned.^{[42] [43]}
• 1612–1640 (prohibition by Murad IV)
• March 25May 8, 2020Sale and consumption of alcohol was prohibited as part of the social distancing measures against Covid-19.
• 1966–1986
• 1790-2009^[44]
• and the July 19, 1914 – August 28, 1925; 1929;
• (temporary ban to prevent drunken violence during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa)
• – In November 2020, the UAE introduced reforms that include the decriminalisation of alcohol for those 21 and over, except the Emirate of Sharjah.

• 1920–1933 (see prohibition in the United States)

See also

• Religion and alcohol

Notes and References

1. Web site: Community Restrictions and Prohibitions. Fin.gov.nt.ca.
2. Web site: Alcohol Prohibition in Foreign Countries . 2013-10-29 . QuitAlcohol.com.
3. Web site: Afghan agents pour 3,000 litres of alcohol into Kabul canal amid crackdown | Afghanistan | the Guardian .
4. A Taste for Law: Rule-Making in Kabylia (Algeria) . 27563712 . Scheele . Judith . Comparative Studies in Society and History . 2008 . 50 . 4 . 895–919 . 10.1017/S0010417508000388 . 145706862 .
5. News: Bangladesh loosens its booze laws . The Economist .
6. Web site: Local laws and customs - Brunei travel advice . 2023-07-02 . gov.uk . en.
7. News: Nunavut, N.W.T and Yukon to allow communities to block opening of cannabis stores. The Globe and Mail. 16 October 2018. Weber. Bob.
8. Web site: Alcohol, Drug Use and Gambling Among the Inuit of Nunavik : Epidemiological Profile. Inspq.qc.ca. 19 January 2022.
9. Web site: Ley 19925: Ley Sobre Expendio y Consumo de Bebidas Alcoholicas. 28 May 2024 . Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional .
10. Web site: Union of the Comoros – 2017 International Religious Freedom Report. state.gov. 19 January 2022.
11. Web site: Mamtany . Sidhant . 2019-05-28 . List of states that have imposed complete ban on alcohol consumption . 2022-04-30 . www.indiatvnews.com . en.
12. Web site: Gujarat: 28 Dead, Several Hospitalised After Consuming Spurious Alcohol .
13. News: States with total and phase-wise prohibition of alcohol in India. 6 April 2016. The Indian Express.
14. Web site: India's Bihar alcohol ban struck down. BBC News. 18 May 2016.
15. Web site: No prohibition here - Taipei Times . 7 September 2016 .
16. Web site: Alcohol in Iran: A Complete Guide to Iran's Drinking Policy for Tourists . 7 August 2019 .
17. Web site: Iraq might be having second thoughts about the new law banning alcohol . . 27 October 2016 .
18. Web site: Citizensinformation.ie . Alcohol and the law . 2024-07-30 . www.citizensinformation.ie . en.
19. News: Knesset bans alcohol sales after 11 p.m.. The Jerusalem Post. 19 January 2022.
20. Alcohol drinking patterns among Jewish and Arab men and women in Israel. Y. D.. Neumark. G.. Rahav. M.. Teichman. D.. Hasin. 19 July 2001. Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 62. 4. 443–447. 19 January 2022. PubMed. 10.15288/jsa.2001.62.443. 11513222.
21. Web site: Libya alcohol poisoning kills 51 . 11 March 2013 .
22. Web site: Alcohol Policies in Malaysia .
23. Web site: Alcohol Policies in Malaysia .
24. Web site: Guide to Maldives | Magic of Maldives .
25. News: Trouble brewing . The Economist .
26. Web site: What is Prohibited in Morocco? 8 Points to Keep in Mind . Blog.tangiertransfer.com. 19 January 2022.
27. Web site: Lov om omsetning av alkoholholdig drikk m.v. (alkoholloven) . Act on the sale of alcoholic beverages (Alcohol Act) . §§ 13, 31, 37, 44, 89 . Lovdata . no . 17 October 2023 .
28. Web site: 15 things to know before visiting Oman .
29. Web site: Women Tell Us How They Illegally Buy Alcohol and Drugs in Pakistan - VICE . 27 July 2021 .
30. Book: Avendaño . Christine . Tubeza . Philip . Cheers! Here's to SC rule cutting liquor ban duration . 9 May 2013 . Philippine Daily Inquirer . 31 October 2023 . en.
31. Web site: Will fans be allowed to drink alcohol at 2022 World Cup Qatar? . 8 July 2022 .
32. Web site: Saudi tourism official clarifies country's stand on alcohol consumption . 27 May 2022 .
33. Web site: CNBC. Saudi Arabia Opens First Ever Alcohol Store Accessible to a Select Group. January 24, 2024.
34. Web site: Somalia: Somali Police Seize Illicit Alcohol . 23 September 2020 .
35. News: BBC News, Africa. Sudan scraps apostasy law and alcohol ban for non-Muslims. 12 July 2020.
36. Web site: New law in Turkmenistan cracks down sharply on alcohol sales . . January 2019 .
37. Web site: Yemen hotel serving alcohol attacked; 2 dead . . 4 January 2012 .
38. Web site: United Arab Emirates relaxes Islamic laws on alcohol and cohabitation, criminalizes 'honor' killings . . 7 November 2020 .
39. Wuorinen . John H. . 1932 . Finland's Prohibition Experiment . The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science . 163 . 216–226 . 10.1177/000271623216300123 . 1017701 . 143783269 . 0002-7162.
40. A Forradalmi Kormányzótanács II. sz. rendelete. Decree No. 2 of the Revolutionary Governing Council. Budapesti Közlöny: Hivatalos lap. Budapest Gazette: Official Journal. 24 March 1919. 53 . 69. 2. Athenaeum. Budapest. hu. 1. §. Mindennemü szeszes ital kimérése, forgalombahozatala és fogyasztása tilos.. § 1. The sale, distribution and consumption of all alcoholic beverages is prohibited..
41. A Népgazdasági Tanács 91. N. T. számú rendelete. Decree No. 91 of the People's Economic Council. Tanácsköztársaság: Hivatalos lap. Soviet Republic: Official Journal. 23 July 1919. 1. 99. 1. Athenaeum. Budapest. hu. 1. §. Minden dolgozó, aki 18-ik életévét betöltötte, naponkint félliter (0'5 l.) bort fogyaszthat.. § 1. All workers who have reached the age of 18 can consume half a liter (0.5 L) of wine daily..
42. Hem . Per Eivind . Hem . Erlend . Et regelverk fullt av smutthull - legenes reseptrett i forbudstiden 1916 - 26 . Tidsskrift for den Norske Legeforening . Norwegian Medical Association . 132 . 23 . 2012 . 0029-2001 . 10.4045/tidsskr.12.1207 . 2636–2640 . 23338098 . no. free .
43. Web site: Alcohol's role in the relationship between Sweden and Norway . Sciencenorway . 2019-06-14 . no . 2022-10-07.
44. Web site: After 200-Year Prohibition Liquor Now Flows on Pitcairn Island . April 8, 2009. Pitcairn Islands Study Center . September 21, 2021.