Drinking is the act of taking in liquid substance into your body. However, the word drinking is often associated with the act of consuming liquid that contains alcohol. People drink alcohol in various forms such as wine, beer or whisky. They drink it to celebrate, as a way to socialize or they just simply enjoy the taste. In Indonesia, drinking alcohol is not banned. People are still allowed to drink alcohol.
However, there are rules and laws that the people who want to drink must obey. This article contains the 13 Drinking Law in Indonesia that you need to know to avoid troubles. Drinking may turn into a serious offence if you don’t follow these laws and you might end up in a jail.
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1. Must Reach Legal Age
Drinking in Indonesia is only allowed if you are already in the legal age for it. The legal age for drinking is 21 years old. Anyone caught drinking outside the legal age may have to face serious punishment or charges from the authorities.
2. You Must Not Consume Alcohol in Aceh
Aceh is a regency in Indonesia made up of mostly Muslims. They are a lot more conservative than any other regions in Indonesia. It is not allowed to consume alcohol at all in Aceh. You may face charges and social punishment by the people for being caught consuming or having alcohol.
3. Local Alcohol are for Special Occasions
In some areas in Indonesia, it is okay to drink during special occasions. There are traditions and celebrations that involve drinking alcohol. However, the alcohol they drink is mostly local such as ciu or arak.
4. Must Show ID
For anyone to want a drinking occasion in Indonesia, he or she must show her real identity card. The ID must not be a fake one. If it is fake then authorities could get involved. The same rule applies to anyone who wants to buy alcohol.
5. No Drinking in Supermarkets or Mini Markets
It is not allowed to drink in the same place where you bought your alcohol. Thus, when you buy a drink that contains alcohol in supermarkets or mini markets you cannot drink it there. The reason for that is because there are a lot of people around while you drink it.
6. No Drinking While Driving
Nobody is allowed to drink while driving a vehicle in Indonesia. You could go to jail if you are caught driving under the influence. It is a serious offence in Indonesia. A person who is drunk driving may inflict injury to themselves. Moreover, they may cause an accident in the road. Other people could end up dead due to someone’s careless act.
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7. No Offering Alcohol to Minors
You are not allowed to offer alcohol to minors. The minors have not reached the legal age for drinking. Encouraging drinking to minors is an offence in Indonesia. Someone might report you to the police for offering alcohol to underage children.
8. Not Allowed to Drink while at Work
The workplaces in Indonesia do not tolerate drinking. There must not be any alcohol present within the workplace. It disrupts the flow of the people at work. Moreover, it may cause people to behave unprofessionally. Drinking is simply not an Indonesian work culture and it is not tolerated at all.
9. No Drinking in School
Drinking in school is also not allowed. As the students are still children, it would not be appropriate to start drinking at a young age. School is seen as a place for education, not behaving inappropriately. They may influence others to drink too. Universities in Indonesia also do not tolerate alcohol within their education ground.
10. No Drinking in Places for Worship
People are not allowed to drink around places for worship. It is highly disrespectful for the people who are actually trying to get some peace. Moreover, people could also get so drunk that they start to cause a commotion around the places for worship. It is an overall unwanted behaviour in Indonesia.
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11. No Drinking around Minors
If you are an adult who wants to drink then it would be fine as long you are of legal age. However, you cannot drink around minors. It is not permissable for anyone to consume alcohol around those who are still underage. Children might get the wrong impression from it and start to mimic what they see.
12. No Drinking in Public Places
Drinking in public places is prohibited. Public places such as the malls have a lot of people walking around the area. It would be rude and disrespectful to start drinking in such a place. Other than that, there are also children who might see the act. The parents of the children would be furious to see someone set a bad example to their kids.
13. Not Allowed to Mix with Other Drinks
Drinking in Indonesia is allowed as long as people follow the laws. One last law that people should always remember is to never mix alcohol with other type of drinks. For instance, Indonesians are known to create a mix of drinks that could end up being dangerous. They might mix alcohol with carbonated drinks. This type of drink is called oplosan. However, that kind of drink has caused many people to die in Indonesia. Thus, authorities are highly strict when it comes to oplosan. People could get thrown in jail for being caught creating and drinking it.
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There are plenty of Indonesians who like to drink but they follow these rules seriously. Other than the fact that they don’t want to deal with consequences from breaking the laws, they also do not want to cause harm to others. There have been many cases of drunk driving that result in the death of oneself or other people. So, while you are in Indonesia you should respect and obey the drinking laws.
