Guizhou to ban drinking alcohol during official occasions

Having alcoholic drinks at all official government occasions will be forbidden from Sept 1 in Guizhou province, according to a regulation issued by the provincial government on Aug 21.

The regulation also confirmed that all government departments and individuals are not allowed to offer any alcoholic drinks to anyone, even if paid by themselves. Special occasions requiring alcohol must also submit a report for approval in advance.

"Nobody wants to drink during work days," a civil servant surnamed Chen explained. "However, we used to have spirits and society considers it as a measurement of people's relationship. The more we drink, the closer we are," said Chen.

In addition, the ban on drinking will have an impact on local liquor companies. Zhang Zaibin, president of Guizhou Xiongzheng Liquor Co Ltd, said that the regulation will impact their sales in the short-term, but it is a good signal for them to make development decisions in the long run.

"Xiongzheng Liquor will put more concentration into research and development to offset the cost and make our liquors more affordable to attract more ordinary consumers," Zhang said.

According to the regulation, some special occasions, like important foreign affairs and investment attraction activities that require alcohol, should be reported to related departments. Purchasing alcohol as gifts at official government occasions is also prohibited.

Consumers drink spirits at an alcoholic drinks trade fair in 2016. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]