This brief from the WHO Less Alcohol Unit from the Snapshot series on alcohol control policies and practice provides an analysis of 30 countries with licensing systems and country case studies.
Key findings from the case studies:
- Botswana applied minimum distance standards to address young people’s alcohol consumption, including its effects on HIV transmission, disease progression and reduced medication adherence.
- Burundi regulated availability to tackle the high prevalence of alcohol use, including among pregnant women.
- Malawi and Uganda banned alcohol sachets to address early initiation to alcohol consumption.
- Lithuania introduced strict regulations on alcohol outlet density and hours of sale.
- Thailand pioneered a ban on alcohol delivery to reduce alcohol consumption among young people.
- Vietnam banned the consumption and sale of alcohol in various facilities including health, educational and workplaces of regulatory authorities and public service providers.
The brief calls on civil society and community-based organizations to:
- advocate for evidence-informed alcohol availability policy measures
- conduct public opinion polling to identify alcohol availability policy measures with broad public support
- document and share the experiences of countries and localities that implement evidence-informed alcohol availability policies to facilitate their adoption in other locations.
Recommended citation:
World Health Organization. (2025). Restricting alcohol availability in practice: evidence from selected countries. Brief 14. Geneva: World Health Organization (Snapshot series on alcohol control policies and practice).https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/381461