The Nepal government has approved a stringent policy to regulate the sale of alcohol, including mandatory pictorial health warnings and minimum age for buying liquor.

The National Policy on Regulation and Control of Alcohol 2017, cleared by the cabinet on February 20, will now progress to Parliament for its endorsement. As part of the regulations, Nepal will adopt a zero-tolerance policy against drinking alcohol in public functions, weddings and other social and cultural events.

The policy requires producers to mandatorily display a pictorial warning depicting liver cirrhosis and effects on other organs that will have to cover 75% of the packaging of alcoholic beverages. Nepal will be first country to introduce such a warning for alcohol.

People below the age of 21 and pregnant women will be restricted from purchasing and consuming alcohol. Alcohol will no longer be served at government-sponsored events or at public places such as heritage sites and sports complexes. There will also be a total ban on alcohol advertisements. The policy will also decrease the availability of alcohol by restricting sales to specially licenced shops for certain hours. Sales will be prohibited from 5 am to 7 pm, and each person will be limited to buying one litre a day.