Alcohol consumption's legal age in India varies from state to state. The selling and serving of alcohol to underage are prohibited but attracts no penalty. Thus, it becomes difficult to abide by the same. It is extremely easy for any underage to procure alcohol in India.
The law is ambiguous and in practise many bars serve those above age 18 though a few bars refuse service to anyone below 21. Kerala government has planned to implement prohibition of hard liquor in 10 years.
This means that Delhi is one of the five states which has a legal drinking age set at the age of 25, including Punjab, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
If an underage person is caught consuming alcohol or if the vendor is caught, it could mean a fine of Rs. 10,000.
In 2021, the legal age for drinking alcohol is 18 years in the state of Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Sikkim, and Puducherry in India. In comparison, the legal age for drinking is 21 years in the capital city of India, Delhi.
Drinking in public is generally not legal in India. Laws governing alcohol consumption and sale vary between states, but in many parts of the country, it is prohibited to consume alcohol in public places such as streets, parks, and beaches.
In fact, 64 percent of the world's nations have legal drinking ages of 18. The youngest legal drinking age in the world is 15, with both Mali and the Central African Republic allowing folks to drink at that time.
Overall, 1% of women aged 15 and over drink alcohol, compared to 19% of men in the same age group. This breaks up into 1.6% (rural) and 0.6% (urban) among women, and 19.9% and 16.5% respectively among men. Of all states, Arunachal Pradesh has the highest proportion of both men (53%) and women (24%) who drink alcohol.
The people in India prefer the traditional drinks more than the modern ones. The highest consumers of traditional alcohol are the people living in the rural areas.
Generally, the legal age for drinking alcohol is 18 in Abu Dhabi, but a Ministry of Tourism by-law prevents hotels from serving alcohol to those under the age of 21. In Dubai and all other emirates besides Sharjah, the drinking age is 21. Drinking alcohol in Sharjah is illegal.
Status of Alcohol Prohibition in Indian states
This is primarily because liquor revenues have consistently contributed a large share of the state government's revenue. At present, liquor ban exists in the states of Bihar, Gujarat, Mizoram, and Nagaland while partial bans exist in Lakshadweep and Manipur.
The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 -Section 185 considers drink and drive as illegal in India and is punishable under the Indian Penal Court.
Drunk driving or driving under the influence (DUI) is a criminal offence in India under the Motor Vehicle Act.
Maharashtra has a permit system under the Bombay Prohibition Act (1949). According to this Act, purchasing and drinking alcohol without a permit is an offence. The Act is clearly spelt out on the Maharashtra government official website.
Alcohol consumption is more common in scheduled tribes than in any other caste/tribe group. If we see religion-wise alcohol consumption among Hindus is 20%, Muslims 5%, Christians 28%, Sikhs 23.5%, Buddhist/Neo-Buddhist 24.5%, and Jains 5.9%, and others 47%.
Beer remains the most popular alcohol consumed in India. Wine and whiskey come next.
According to a survey conducted by India's fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) in 2021 stated that about 36 percent of Christian men consumed alcohol in India. In contrast, over six percent of Muslim men consumed alcohol.
Laws that apply anywhere in Australia
Legal drinking age – you must be 18 or older to buy alcohol or to drink alcohol in a licensed venue. Selling alcohol – it's illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 18 or to someone who is already drunk.
In Japan, the legal adult age is 20. Japanese law prohibits individuals under the age of 20 to drink alcohol or smoke. Regardless of age, you must not force anyone to drink or smoke as it may cause serious health and social consequences.
Raising the legal age for alcohol purchase to 21 would reduce alcohol-related harm in Australia. There is strong evidence and increasing support to raise the minimum age for purchasing alcohol from 18 to 21, leading public health experts argue in The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA).
Australia. Although details and penalties vary from state to state, drinking in public places directly outside licensed premises (and also in council-designated no alcohol zones) is illegal. Generally, possession of an open container of alcohol is sufficient proof of public drinking.
As previously stated, the drink and drive limit is 30 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. However, according to reports, this fluctuates based on body weight, but the average 65 kg male may keep inside the legal limit if he drinks: 2 gallons of beer (660ml).
The legislation is titled the Bombay Prohibition (Gujarat Amendment) Act, 2009. The legislation was prompted by numerous deaths resulting from the consumption of methyl alcohol. Predictably, smuggling and illicit sale of alcohol are very common.