𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬

…𝒍𝒂𝒘𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌𝒔

By Yeshi Dolma

When the National Assembly convened for the fourth session of the fourth Parliament, one issue dominated conversations inside and outside the chamber: the rising tide of alcohol misuse. What began months earlier as a concern raised by the Member from Shompangkha had, by this winter session, evolved into a nationwide call for coordinated action. The Women, Children and Youth Committee (WCYC), entrusted with investigating the matter, returned to Parliament with a comprehensive set of findings and recommendations that revealed both the urgency of the crisis and the determination of lawmakers to address it.

Alcohol has a long-established presence in the country’s social and cultural fabric. Once consumed mainly during rituals and community gatherings, it has over time become part of everyday life. As consumption increased, so did the consequences. Hospitals recorded a steady rise in alcohol-related liver disease, police reports showed persistent links to crime and domestic violence, and roads witnessed preventable tragedies.

The scale of the problem became clearer when the WCYC began its investigation, consulting the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the national chamber of commerce, Thimphu Thromde, and representatives from entertainment businesses. The committee also reviewed academic studies, legal frameworks, and social media accounts to form a complete picture of the situation.

The findings were sobering. Adults aged fifteen to seventy-five consume an average of 8.47 liters of pure alcohol annually, the highest in the region. More than ten thousand bars operate across the country, creating a ratio of one bar for every seventy-five people. Home brewing, once limited to rural households, is now widely practiced, with nearly one-third of households producing ara and roughly half of all domestic grains being used for brewing.

Quality control is virtually nonexistent. Alcohol concentration in local beverages ranges from barely measurable levels to nearly fifty percent, and testing revealed methanol contamination in almost one-fifth of samples. Some beverages pose risks from pressure fermentation and toxins such as bongkrekic acid and cyanide.

The rising human and economic cost is equally alarming. Between 2020 and 2024, the country recorded 4,516 traffic accidents, with 791 linked to alcohol. Police data indicated that one in ten vehicular incidents involved drunk driving. The same period saw 1,527 alcohol-related domestic violence cases, and hospitals recorded growing cases of alcoholic liver disease, increasing from 2,393 in 2021 to 2,625 in 2023. More than six hundred deaths between 2020 and 2023 were tied directly to alcohol, accounting for nearly five percent of deaths among adults. Economists estimated annual losses at approximately 6.5 billion ngultrum, or 2.6 percent of the nation’s GDP.

Faced with this picture, the WCYC developed a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening regulation, improving enforcement, and supporting public health measures. Presenting the report to Parliament, Committee Chairperson Dr. Tek Bar Rai, Member from Shompangkha, stressed the urgency of reform.

“Between 2020 and 2024, the country recorded nearly five thousand traffic accidents, with close to eight hundred linked to alcohol,” he said. “The Blood Alcohol Content in some of the developed countries like Norway, Sweden, and Poland are just 0.02 percent. Whereas, in countries like Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania the Blood Alcohol Content is zero. There is zero tolerance. Zero tolerance should apply to professional drivers.”

His comments came as the committee proposed lowering the legal Blood Alcohol Content limit for drivers from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent, bringing national standards closer to international benchmarks. He also questioned the ease with which bar licenses are issued.

“Currently, we also issue bar licences online, and anyone above eighteen can obtain one. We need to review the requirements and make them more stringent,” he said.

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment received a series of recommendations ranging from prohibiting the subleasing of bar licenses to introducing mandatory education programs for license holders. The committee called for stronger inspection protocols and annual compliance checks before renewal of licenses. It further suggested that the ministry, if necessary, propose a dedicated Alcohol Control Act if existing regulations fail to yield improvements.

The Ministry of Health faced an equally significant task. The committee recommended that the ministry strengthen monitoring for contaminants such as methanol and bongkrekic acid, particularly in home-brewed beverages. It urged officials to ensure that the alcohol content of ara does not exceed forty percent and to fully implement the Healthy Drukyul Initiative. This initiative includes licensing reforms, enhanced enforcement, promoting community involvement, reinforcing age verification, improving coordination across agencies, and expanding national advocacy for responsible drinking. The ministry was also asked to take a leading role in the proposed multi-stakeholder taskforce.

Responding to the report, Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk acknowledged both the severity of the issue and the challenges of implementation.

“My concern is about ara production and sale,” he said. “It varies from household to household in rural areas. The recommendation says the alcohol content in ara should not exceed forty percent, but I am sceptical about how far we can regulate and maintain that.”

He confirmed that his ministry is reviewing the need for a Strategic Action Plan and is identifying stakeholders for developing new measures. The National Assembly directed the ministry to lead the coordination of stakeholders and to present progress at the next winter session.

The Ministry of Home Affairs meanwhile was urged to strengthen enforcement through district administrations and ensure that Entertainment Licensing Committees fulfill their mandates. The committee further proposed mandatory verification of original identification for alcohol purchase and for entry to entertainment venues, citing growing concerns about underage exposure.

Throughout the deliberations, parliamentarians acknowledged that alcohol misuse is not merely a health matter but a multifaceted national challenge. The rapid growth of entertainment businesses, weak enforcement mechanisms, and evolving social norms have created a complex environment requiring restructuring and shared responsibility. Lawmakers expressed optimism that the establishment of the new Mindfulness City could serve as a model for promoting discipline and social responsibility across the country.

What stood out in this session was the unanimity of purpose. Members across constituencies recognized the issue as a national priority. The report emphasized that despite existing laws and policies, implementation remains inconsistent and fragmented. Strengthening legislation must therefore go hand in hand with public engagement. Communities must participate in changing norms, families must support safer practices, and agencies must commit to coordinated action.

The WCYC framed its investigation not as a critique of past shortcomings but as an opportunity for collective progress. The recommendations place accountability on producers, vendors, regulators, health agencies, and citizens alike. The committee’s message was clear: addressing alcohol misuse is a shared responsibility, and the time for decisive action is now.

By endorsing the report and its recommendations, the National Assembly has taken the first step toward meaningful reform. Whether through tighter licensing rules, improved regulation of home brewing, stricter driving limits, or broader public health interventions, the work ahead will be complex. Yet, the momentum generated in this session signals a renewed commitment to safeguarding communities and protecting future generations.

The next winter session will reveal how effectively the responsible ministries translate these recommendations into action. For now, the country stands at an important crossroads. The choices made today guided by voices like Dr. Tek Bar Rai and Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk will shape not only the wellbeing of citizens but the social and economic resilience of the nation for decades to come.