How much is the penalty for forcing others to drink alcohol?

According to Article 5 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Harmful Effects of Alcohol and Beer 2019, prohibited acts in preventing and controlling harmful effects of alcohol and beer include:

- Inciting, inciting, enticing, or forcing others to drink alcohol or beer.

-People under 18 years old drink alcohol and beer.

-Selling, supplying, or promoting alcohol and beer to people under 18 years old.

-Employing workers under 18 years of age to directly participate in the production and sale of alcohol and beer.

- Cadres, civil servants, public employees, workers in agencies, organizations, officers, non-commissioned officers, professional soldiers, soldiers, people working in the people's armed forces, students drinking alcohol and beer right before, during working hours, studying hours and breaks between working hours and studying hours.

-Driving a vehicle while having alcohol in the blood or breath.

-Advertising alcohol with an alcohol content of 15 degrees or more.

- Providing inaccurate or false information about the effects of alcohol and beer on health.

- Promotions in the business of wine and beer with an alcohol content of 15 degrees or more; using wine and beer with an alcohol content of 15 degrees or more for promotion in any form.

- Using raw materials, additives, and processing aids that are not permitted for use in food; raw materials, food additives, and food processing aids that do not guarantee quality and are of unknown origin to produce and mix alcohol and beer.

- Trading in alcohol without a license or registration; selling alcohol and beer through vending machines.

- Trading, storing, transporting fake, smuggled, substandard, unknown origin, smuggled alcohol and beer.

-Other prohibited acts related to alcohol and beer as prescribed by law.

The act of forcing others to drink alcohol can be understood as coercion to force others to reluctantly drink alcohol.

Clause 3, Article 30 of Decree 117/2020/ND-CP stipulating administrative sanctions for violations in the health sector stipulates violations of regulations on drinking alcohol and beer and places where alcohol and beer are not allowed to be consumed as follows:

3. A fine of from VND 1,000,000 to VND 3,000,000 shall be imposed for one of the following acts:

a) Drinking alcohol or beer right before, during working hours, studying hours and breaks from work or studying hours;

b) Forcing others to drink alcohol.

Thus, forcing others to drink alcohol or beer is strictly prohibited and can be fined from 1,000,000 VND to 3,000,000 VND.

The punishment must be carried out publicly and objectively. Therefore, the person forced to drink alcohol must denounce the violator and prove that he or she was forced to use alcohol by providing images, audio or video recordings of actions and words showing that he or she was forced to drink alcohol or beer or have witnesses to this. From there, the competent authority has a basis to evaluate and handle according to regulations.

Minh Hoa (t/h)

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