In Kyrgyzstan, the sale of alcohol at night may be banned.

Starting from January 21, 2026, discussions are planned in Kyrgyzstan regarding a draft law that will amend the Law "On the State Monopoly on the Production, Import, Storage, and Sale of Ethyl Alcohol and State Regulation of Alcohol Production." The initiator of this initiative is the deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh, Marlen Mamataliyev.

The explanatory note to the draft emphasizes that the changes aim to:

reduce the consumption of alcoholic products;
protect the health of citizens;
increase the level of public safety.

The document highlights that alcoholism remains one of the main social and medical problems negatively impacting the health of the population, the crime rate, and social stability.

The proposed measures in the draft law include:

limiting the hours of sale of alcoholic products at night;
allowing the sale of alcohol only in specialized establishments, such as restaurants, bars, and licensed stores;
prohibiting the sale of alcohol in other retail outlets during nighttime.

According to the initiator, these measures will help reduce the level of crime, instances of domestic and street violence, as well as traffic accidents caused by intoxication.

Based on the presented data:

about 75% of incidents of domestic violence in the country occur under the influence of alcohol;
in 2019, the Ministry of Internal Affairs registered 8,159 cases of domestic violence, of which in 70% of cases, the violence occurred in families suffering from alcoholism;
since the beginning of 2024, 3,754 drivers have been identified as being under the influence of alcohol, 65 of whom caused traffic accidents that resulted in the deaths of two people and injuries to 117 others.

The draft law also proposes amendments to Article 14 of the law concerning the state regulation of alcoholic products. The innovations include:

Expanding the list of places where the sale of alcohol will be prohibited.

The ban will apply to central squares, park areas, squares, recreational zones, and entertainment complexes within 100 meters of their boundaries.

Nighttime sale of alcohol will be prohibited from 11:00 PM to 8:00 AM the following day.

However, some exceptions are provided:

the sale of alcohol by organizations and individual entrepreneurs providing catering services;
the sale of beer and other low-alcohol beverages in catering establishments;
the sale of alcoholic products in duty-free shops for travelers going abroad.

The authors of the draft law emphasize that these measures will help reduce alcohol consumption and improve public safety, aligning with international practices in alcohol market regulation.

The explanatory note also mentions the experience of other countries:

in Russia and Kazakhstan, restrictions on nighttime alcohol sales have already been implemented;
in some regions where such measures have been applied, there has been a significant reduction in the number of offenses and accidents;
in Finland and Sweden, the sale of strong alcohol is strictly controlled and conducted through state stores.

The authors of the draft law are confident that the adoption of similar restrictions in Kyrgyzstan will be an effective measure to reduce social risks associated with alcohol.

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