Control where Alcohol can be Sold and Drunk.

it's about time!!!

There are many laws on the books. Most are ignored with impunity. 

This must now go before the deputados now who can and likely will make changes.

This is good!  Lots of chatter online by locals and expats!   I particularly love the indignation of illegal expats about their loss of freedom to do what they want.

LOL most of us abiding citizens are used to the laws in out countries so therefore we will not have any issues complying with them.
laws are good specially where needed!
Thanks Planner for always keeping this site as it should and for your efforts and friendship to all of us.
Greatly appreciated.
God bless

Potentially this is a wide ranging law that is badly needed to stop the carnage on the roads, avoid teteos and noise issues, reduce crime associated with alcohol abuse and regularize the sale of alcohol and address low wages for those working in unregulated businesses.

Hopefully it will get passed into law soon but the application of the law will be dificult universally. It will have to start in cities, large towns in tourist areas and on major highways. And DIGICOBA will have to have many more personnel.

As for expats moaning, suggest they go live in the cities and live with the street parties to the wee hours and read of the carnage on the roads due to alcohol related accidents. The freedom to live peacefully for all society is a greater need than the desired carelessness of a very few. They should ask 'do these restrictions apply in their own country?'... and the answer is yes yes and yes and enforced very strongly. So DR come on and join the rest of the world.

It is abolutely crazy that anybody can go open up a bar selling alcohol anywhere in the country. Worse still to sell alcohol alongside highways and at garages to drivers who stop to get a cold one as they drive. Crazy to see motos with passengers with polystyrene cups of rum and bottles drinking as thet ride.

I absolutely  agree Lennox.   This is for the greater good and effects much more broadly  when you stop to actually think about it!

yes and yes!
i was shocked to see drive thru places for drinks im SD when i first started going to DR
i mean , we have coffee drive thru places but drinks geeee a bit too far.

I too agree with this law, but I do understand the other sides view as well. Its one of the reasons I want to live there. Over regulation sucks. The wild west is tamed and gone forever. Im not saying this law is wrong and is a good to have. but I also love the rawness of DR. Its refreshing.

I was shocked and pleased to see this. it is and should be a social norm-  it will be tough to implement- it will take time-  but IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!

I totally agree with this new policy!  🇨🇦

Didn't you guys recently have some tourists die from bad alcohol?

Lobbying against has begun:

Licenses for the sale of alcohol would be harmful to the economic activity of the Dominican Republic

https://www.diariolibre.com/economia/li … HK29011556

Legislation to control the sale, supply and consumption of alcoholic beverages would cause a very damaging impact on economic activity and the generation of jobs, considered the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD).

When objecting to a bill on the subject circulating in the National Congress, AIRD indicated that such a legal framework would create confusion, as well as dualities of institutional roles in the fight against illicit alcoholic beverages.

The industrialists' union assured that there are mechanisms for the effective control of the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages without the need to create a law such as the aforementioned one .

Among those legal mechanisms, he cited Laws 17-19, for the Eradication of Illicit Trade; 63-17 on Mobility, Land Transport, Traffic and Road Safety and 136-03 that dictates the Code for the Protection of the Rights of Children and Adolescents.

Likewise, the General Law 358-05 on the Protection of the Rights of the Consumer or User and the tax regulation (implemented by DGII and DGA), among other provisions.

“The economic recovery that the country is showing is incipient and it must be cared for and strengthened. The draft Law for the Control of Sale, Supply and Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages constitutes an obstacle to this recovery, especially in relation to employment ”, warned AIRD.

It indicated that establishing limitations and restrictions on commercial activities by imposing compulsory licenses on micro, small and medium-sized companies (especially the more than 60 thousand grocery stores and places of sale of alcoholic beverages) in the current situation in the country, it would be counterproductive as it would increase operating costs and many businesses would be forced to close their doors.

Incentive to illicit trade

AIRD indicated that these licenses constitute an incentive to the illicit trade in alcohol, as has been the experience in other countries in the region, thus punishing those who comply with the law and giving advantages to continue the illicit trade to the detriment of the consumer, producers, importers and state revenues.

"It is, therefore, an incentive that can be considered perverse, although it is necessary to clarify that this is not the intention of the legislator," he said.

He recalled that as a result of the enactment of Law 17-19, on the Eradication of Illicit Trade, a work plan has been implemented to which the Attorney General's Office has joined, so before approving a regulation and inspection of illicit alcohol, it is necessary to strengthen the plans established by the central government and contemplated in the indicated legislation.

brycebigelow wrote:

Didn't you guys recently have some tourists die from bad alcohol?

More Dominicans than tourists - they have their home-made alcohol which often contains methanol. They call it cleren, and it's usually consumed at parties. Unfortunately, that sometimes means multiple family members dying from drinking at the same event.