No alcohol wedding – is the fun reduced?

Recently, the press reported on the alcohol-free wedding of bride Thanh Tam and groom Cong Hau in Binh Minh commune, Trang Bom district (Dong Nai) which attracted public attention.

The bride and groom at the wedding shared that they used tea and soft drinks instead of alcohol because they did not want any bad things to happen to their guests when participating in traffic. This is a very commendable action, although it may initially cause a lot of controversy, especially for those who think that a wedding party without alcohol to celebrate is less fun.

Three years ago, when Decree 100 on handling administrative violations in the field of road and railway traffic had just come into effect, I also attended a year-end party of a military unit with the spirit of "rice without alcohol". That meal was quick, because there were no noisy "cheers" toasts. I thought that such alcohol-free meals would be maintained, but unexpectedly, alcohol returned to the table with the reason that many people cited that without alcohol, eating and drinking would be bland and less fun. And to deal with traffic police and ensure compliance with the law, people chose to call a taxi, have a private driver instead of driving themselves to enjoy parties with alcohol.

But we cannot deny the fact that the majority of people today still have low incomes. Not everyone can afford to rent a car or hire a driver, while they have to attend many parties with alcohol. Weddings, death anniversaries, housewarming parties, birthdays, class reunions, year-end parties, etc. Most of those parties are attended by motorcyclists, people who think that they can drive well after just a few drinks. That is why there are sad stories, after one person's wedding comes another person's funeral because of a little alcohol that leads to a traffic accident. Not to mention, many drinking parties turn into places of chaos and fighting because some people who are a little drunk are impulsive, cause trouble, and resolve conflicts with violence...

Raising glasses and toasting is considered a custom and a cultural feature of Vietnam and many countries around the world. However, the abuse of alcohol at parties is a worrying issue.

The recent crackdown on alcohol violations by the traffic police is one of the solutions to help reduce the number of people driving while under the influence of alcohol. The draft Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order, recently submitted to the National Assembly at its 6th session, also includes a provision that absolutely prohibits people from driving while having alcohol in their breath or blood. Although there are still many different opinions on whether this provision should be completely banned or kept at a certain threshold, it shows a determination to thoroughly handle the problem of people driving while having alcohol in their breath.

We have promoted the implementation of healthy weddings and funerals. There have been weddings and funerals without tobacco, which not only helps save costs for the host but also ensures the health of the attendees. Therefore, launching a movement or campaign for alcohol-free weddings is also a good thing to do. I believe that such weddings will bring joy to both the participants and the guests.