This penalty is stipulated in Decree 90/2026 on administrative violations in the health sector, recently issued by the Government. Under this decree, various actions related to alcohol consumption, business, or advertising will be subject to fines reaching tens of millions of VND if state regulations are not followed.

Alcoholic beverages are not beneficial for health. Photo: Henryford

In Vietnam, social gatherings often involve individuals pressuring others who are unwilling or have low tolerance to consume alcohol. Management agencies hope these sanctions will eliminate such harmful coercion, guiding the community towards more voluntary and civilized consumption.

Alongside the one to three million VND fine, authorities will also penalize establishments selling alcoholic beverages to individuals under 18 years old, or those failing to prominently display notices prohibiting sales to minors. Businesses will face fines of 5-10 million VND for operating on-site consumption points within 100 meters of medical facilities or schools, or for conducting business in other prohibited locations. For e-commerce platforms, owners must pay 10-20 million VND if they do not integrate a filter to prevent individuals under 18 from searching for and purchasing alcohol.

The government imposes the most severe penalties, ranging from 20-30 million VND, for promoting products with 15% alcohol content or higher. Authorities will also apply this fine level to businesses that hire individuals under 18 to appear in advertisements, or those that target marketing efforts towards students, young people, and pregnant women.

These stringent measures, which significantly impact offenders' finances, stem from the serious consequences of alcohol abuse. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that Vietnam ranks second in Southeast Asia and third in Asia for average per capita alcohol consumption, spending approximately 3,4 billion USD annually on alcoholic beverages. About 44% of adult males in Vietnam maintain drinking habits at harmful levels. Particularly during holidays, the number of poisoning cases or accidents related to alcoholic beverages rapidly increases, creating an overwhelming burden on hospitals and medical staff.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Quang Dung, Deputy Head of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at Hanoi Medical University, stated that the devastating effects of alcohol on the body often manifest silently. Toxins from these beverages directly damage the immune system, leading to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and a range of dangerous cancers in the throat, esophagus, liver, or colorectal area.

Le Nga