Indonesian lawmakers have revived a bill to ban alcohol titled “Alcohol Beverages Bill” which was put on hold in 2016. The bill proposes prohibiting all alcohol in Indonesia.

The proposed bill aims to ban all alcohol in the country with violations punishable by three months to two years imprisonment or a fine of 10 million to 50 million rupiahs. Even stricter action will be taken against violators who also harm other people with a sentence of up to five years and and a fine of 100 million rupiahs. Those who produce illegal alcohol can be subject to up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to a billion rupiahs.

The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) strongly opposes the bill under consideration by Indonesian lawmakers. The defenders of the bill maintain that it is aimed at protecting the Indonesian people from the damages caused by alcohol consumption.

Alcohol harm in Indonesia

©WHO Global Alcohol Status Report 2018

In Indonesia, over a quarter (28.6%) of alcohol users over 15 years and about one third (33.2%) of alcohol using youth between 15 to 19 years of age engage in binge alcohol use. A majority of the country lives alcohol-free, with 77.3% of the adult population having been alcohol-free in 2016.

Despite being mostly alcohol-free, Indonesians still suffer from alcohol harm. In Indonesia alcohol causes:

  • 9500+ deaths from liver cirrhosis,
  • 4700+ deaths from road traffic injury, and
  • 2400+ deaths from cancer.

The country’s written national alcohol policy has been updated last six years ago. A national action plan does not exist.

One of the major gaps in the Indonesian alcohol policy is the lack of a blood alcohol content (BAC) level for driving, this allows people to drive under the influence of alcohol which can harm and sometimes kill innocent people.

Indonesia can also improve alcohol availability policies to address the binge alcohol consumption problem in the country.


Sources

AsiaNews.it: “Indonesian lawmakers debating anti-alcohol bill

The Jakarta Post: “Alcohol producers brace for regulation, reject prohibition