On January 21, 2026, a draft law concerning amendments to the existing Law "On the State Monopoly on the Production, Import, Storage, and Sale of Ethyl Alcohol and State Regulation of Alcohol Production" is planned to be discussed in Kyrgyzstan. The initiator of this draft law is the deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh, Marlen Mamataliev.
In the justification for the project, it is emphasized that the proposed changes aim to:
- reduce the level of alcohol consumption;
- ensure the protection of citizens' health;
- improve public safety.
The draft law highlights the problem of alcohol abuse as one of the most pressing social and medical issues, which negatively affects the health of the population, the level of crime, and social stability.
The main provisions of the draft law include:
- limiting the hours of alcohol sales at night;
- allowing the sale of alcohol only in licensed specialized establishments — restaurants, bars, cafes, and stores;
- banning the sale of alcohol in other retail outlets during nighttime.
The initiator believes that these measures will help reduce the number of crimes, cases of domestic and street violence, as well as traffic accidents occurring under the influence of alcohol. According to the provided data:
- approximately 75% of cases of domestic violence occur while under the influence of alcohol;
- in 2019, the Ministry of Internal Affairs registered 8,159 cases of domestic violence, with 70% of these occurring in families that abused alcohol;
- since the beginning of 2024, 3,754 drivers have been identified as driving under the influence, of which 65 were responsible for traffic accidents resulting in 117 injuries and two deaths.
The draft law also proposes amendments to Article 14 of the law on state regulation of alcoholic products. The main innovations include:
Expanding the areas where the sale of alcohol is prohibited. The ban will apply to central squares, as well as the territories of parks, gardens, squares, and entertainment complexes within a radius of 100 meters from their boundaries.
A ban on the sale of alcohol from 11:00 PM to 8:00 AM the next day will be introduced, with some exceptions:
- the sale of alcoholic products by organizations and individual entrepreneurs in the public catering sector;
- the sale of beer and other low-alcohol beverages in catering establishments;
- the sale of alcohol in duty-free shops for citizens traveling outside the Customs Union.
The authors of the draft law emphasize that these measures are aimed at reducing alcohol consumption, preventing offenses, and increasing public safety, which aligns with international practices for regulating the alcohol market.
The documentation also mentions the experience of other countries:
- in Russia and Kazakhstan, bans on nighttime alcohol sales are already in effect;
- in some regions, after the introduction of such restrictions, a decrease in the number of traffic accidents and offenses has been observed;
- in Finland and Sweden, the sale of strong alcohol is conducted through state stores and is strictly regulated by time.
The authors of the initiative are confident that the introduction of similar measures in Kyrgyzstan will be an effective way to reduce social risks associated with alcohol consumption and will comply with international standards.
