Legal Age to Drink
The legal drinking age in Singapore is currently set at 18 years, as stipulated under the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act. The law indicates that no person below the age of 18 is allowed to supply, sell, purchase or consume liquor. Individuals who have not reached this minimum age limit are also prohibited from participating in public events where alcohol is served.
In terms of administration, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), along with other agencies, is responsible for ensuring the legal drinking age is adhered to. Licensed vendors of alcohol are expected to refuse any customer they suspect to be below the minimum age — and to report any suspicious activity to MHA and the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
In addition , the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act grants police officers the authority to carry out enforcement operations, including arresting unauthorized patrons who are attempting to sneak underage minors into bars, night clubs, etc. The said licensed vendors are required to take "at least one specified precautionary measure" to screen customers’ identification before commencing the sale and supply of liquor.
According to the current law, "Liquor" is defined as any liquor that is intoxicating and contains more than 0.5 percent of alcohol by volume. This includes "alcoholic drinks sold in any form or mixture [and] the mushroom beverage known as Beer."
As can be deduced, there is no minimum age restriction that explicitly corresponds to the purchase or consumption of beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages.
Consequences of Drinking Under Age
The legal drinking age in Singapore is 18 under the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption Act) 2015. Therefore, buying liquor, bringing in liquor into Singapore, and consuming liquor in or at licensed outlets or places is illegal. The penalties for this offence section 147 LC(SCA) are a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $1000 for first offenders and a fine of not less than $1000 and not more than $2000 for second and subsequent offenders.
Section 147(1) of the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption Act) 2015 states that if any person who is below the age of 18 years is found in or on any public place or premise where liquor is sold, supplied, served or consumed, he is guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $1000 for first offenders, and to a fine of not less than $1000 and not more than $2000 for second and subsequent offenders. It should be noted that a person in public clothes or uniform being part of an armed force or any agency of the Government of the Republic of Singapore shall be deemed not to be below the age of eighteen unless he is under 18 years of age and is not performing duties for such agency or armed force.
A person shall not be required to disclose his age during the preceding six months, for the purposes of this section, has been eighteen years of age or over.
Comparison with Other Nations
In terms of the legal drinking age, Singapore is comparable to a number of other countries in the region. For instance, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal and Sri Lanka have all set their legal drinking age at 18 years old. This is consistent with countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia as well. The Philippines is an outlier in the region with a legal drinking age of 21 and other notable exceptions are countries such as Japan and Thailand who have higher legal drinking ages of 20 and 21 respectively. Vietnam has a unique provision in that the legal drinking age applies to those who drink commercially, but there is no designated legal drinking age for other situations.
Interestingly enough, Singapore’s drinking age is lower than its neighbouring countries including Indonesia and Australia, which have the legal drinking age at 21.
Policies and Enforcement
In Singapore, the laws and policies surrounding the control of underage drinking range from managing the supply and sale of alcohol to handling situations involving minors who have consumed alcohol. Retailers of liquor must be licensed, and for those who are licensed to sell liquor, they must comply with a number of strict conditions. Shops that are licensed to sell alcohol must take measures to prevent underage persons from being sold alcohol and in this regard, they may employ individuals tasked with ensuring that persons purchasing alcohol have reached the appropriate drinking age. The penalties for infringing various liquor laws and regulations can be quite serious, with maximum fines of up to SGD10,000 (USD7,125) or imprisonment for up to one year, or both, imposed on individuals found guilty of infringement. The Alcohlic Beverages Regulation sets out prohibited sales and stores selling alcohol. For example, to discourage the supply of alcohol to young persons, the laws prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages at certain locations frequented by minors, such as schools. Bars, taverns and other establishments that allow people to sit down and consume liquor on their premises may only allow persons above the drinking age to consume liquor. In this regard, underage drinkers are prohibited from entering licensed outlets during certain hours of the day . An intensive industry programme has been in place since 2002 called the Care and Control Programme. This consists of campaigns involving various stakeholders to reduce the consumption of alcohol by underage persons. During this programme, various activities are organised to engage young people, such as events at schools, youth centres and community centres. Police officers also engage with students in schools to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol consumption. Where the law appears not to be exceeded, the authorities believe that parents and guardians should exercise good judgment and responsibility if they suspect that a minor has consumed alcohol. The law also makes it an offence to harbour minors who commit an offence under liquor laws. The management of liquor licensing throughout Singapore is overseen by the Land Transport Authority, which has several district offices in each Land Transport Authority region. Local Commanders at the district offices hold quarterly Liquor Licensing Crime Watch Meetings in which the local situation of liquor licensing issues, such as the underage abuse of alcohol, are discussed and measures to address them are implemented. The Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Home Affairs also collaborate with various organisations to address the issue of underage drinking.
Sociocultural Norms towards Drinking
In Singapore, alcohol is readily available throughout the island, with many government-regulated wholesalers and retailers licensed to sell, as well as large chains of supermarkets and convenience stores licensed by the government to sell alcohol. The range of alcoholic beverages sold in these stores are wide and well-priced, both local and imported brands.
The Government of Singapore has taken an active role in regulating the age at which young people may access and consume alcohol in public. In 1999, the Government amended the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act to raise the legal drinking age to 18 from 16. When the law was amended, it required that all public entertainment and public dance platforms within Singapore applicable to members of the public be closed to entry of persons below the age of 18.
Under the Exhibition and Convention Centre Permit regulations in Singapore, persons under the age of 18 are not permitted to enter exhibition and convention centres that are licensed under the Act for the purpose of the sale or supply of alcohol.
In relation to a common place of worship in Singapore, the Sale of Food Act prohibits any licensee from supplying any intoxicating liquor on a day of religious observance, to any person under the age of 21 years, at any premises that is used or intended to be used by the community as a common place of worship.
Legislatively, apart from the amended Public Entertainments and Meetings Act, the Sale of Food Act and the Exhibitions and Convention Centre permits – relevant in the context of these articles being legislation the AG has oversight of, together with some other licensing – there is no further reference to the legal drinking age in Singapore.
Culturally, many young people in Singapore indulge in alcohol consumption (if their lifestyle so permits) with little cognizance to the relevant ages and age limits in place by law. The legal age limit is often not regarded as a formality of law but alcohol is seen as an essential aspect of folkloric cultural activities. There is little regard to the effects of the alcohol, especially in the context of its effects on performance at the workplace, particularly in financial services and professional sectors. This is more likely however due to the fact that financial services and professional bodies are accountable to regulatory agents in the context of licensing.
Within the social scene, there are numerous events and activities in which alcohol plays a big part. This is regardless of the legal age restrictions in place, with many events and promotional activities aimed at those who are 18 years and above, as well as numerous after-work activities in which alcohol is featured as part of the evening. Many of these events are also widely promoted. Additionally, there are many sports-related events in which alcohol plays a prominent role in the social integration and bonding aspect of sporting activities.
Many private clubs and venues promote numerous activities and events, most of which are accompanied by alcohol under the terms and conditions of admission. A significant number of regular weekend events feature closing time at 6am, with DJ or band headlining events that take place in bar and club-party venues.
There are numerous festivals in Singapore, many of which attract a large number of international guests and patrons, which feature alcohol as part of the associated social integration and celebratory activities. Many of these events are also widely promoted.
In Singapore, the communal integration and sporting culture has many events that promote social integration through the use of alcohol. Essentially, however, many of these events are supported by a wide-spread community and local support. Many of these events are also featured in wide public advertisement around the island, attracting many thousands of people in numerous occurrences each year.
Tips for Visitors
It is now widely accepted that the legal drinking age is 18, with the world trending towards this age being the norm. Comparatively, Singapore has a considerable number of food and beverage outlets that serve as a platform for the sale of alcohol. In practice, tourists are not prevented from accessing licensed outlets . However, establishments may deny access to tourists under 18 years of age if their sales policies require a legal verification of visiting patrons’ age. It is therefore encouraged that tourists pass legal verification tests if required at adhering to Singapore’s laws.