Forcing others to drink alcohol is subject to a fine of up to 3 million VND

This fine is specified in Decree 90/2026 on sanctions for administrative violations in the health sector has just been issued by the Government. Accordingly, many acts of drinking alcohol, trading or advertising products will be fined up to tens of millions of dong if they do not comply with state regulations.

In fact, party culture in Vietnam often forces people who do not want or do not have the tolerance to drink alcohol. The management agency hopes that the above sanctions will eliminate harmful manipulation habits and guide the community toward more voluntary and civilized consumption.

A fine of 1-3 million VND is also applied to establishments that sell alcoholic beverages to people under 18 years old or do not post a notice prohibiting sale to minors in an easily observable location. Businessmen will lose 5-10 million VND if they open on-site sales points within a radius of 100 meters around medical facilities, schools or do business in prohibited locations. With an e-commerce platform, stall owners must pay 10-20 million VND if they do not integrate a filter to prevent people under 18 years old from searching and buying.

The government applies the heaviest penalty of 20-30 million VND for using products with 15 degrees of alcohol or more for promotion. Authorities also use this fine to punish businesses that hire people under 18 years old to act in advertisements, or target marketing to students, young people and pregnant women.

These measures hit violators’ wallets hard because of the serious consequences of alcohol abuse. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that Vietnam currently ranks second in Southeast Asia and third in Asia in terms of per capita consumption, “burning” about 3.4 billion USD per year on alcohol. About 44% of adult men in Vietnam are maintaining drinking habits at dangerous levels. Especially during the holidays, the number of cases of poisoning or accidents related to alcoholic beverages increases rapidly, creating overwhelming pressure on hospitals and doctors.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quang Dung, Deputy Head of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, Hanoi Medical University, said the devastating effects of alcohol on the body often happen silently. Toxins from this drink directly destroy the immune system, causing high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and a series of dangerous cancers in the nasopharynx, esophagus, liver or colorectal…

But Nga