The One Weekend Mexico Bans Alcohol Sales

Alcohol sales account for a notable portion of Mexico's annual GDP, with 2024 clocking in at $40.04 billion, and 2025 forecast to achieve $40.69 billion. So when a ban on alcohol sales is announced, even for a few days, there's got to be a really good reason for it.

And there is. According to Mexican law, alcohol sales can be limited on election weekends, with each state having the freedom to choose how (and if) they want to limit the sale of alcohol. La ley seca (as the ban is called), according to the General Law of Electoral Institutions and Procedures, is to maintain order and peace amongst voters and ensure a smooth and event-free election period. In Mexico's most recent elections, on June 1 and 2, 2024, all of Mexico's states and the capital district were lawfully permitted to ban both the sale and consumption of alcohol over the election weekend. In the states that applied the law, law enforcement was permitted to fine or arrest people caught selling or serving alcohol. 

Fines could also be imposed if the bans were not upheld, ranging from 2,200 to 3,240 pesos ($110–$160). And if businesses that sold alcohol did not adhere to the law, they could be temporarily shut down and their liquor licenses revoked.

This law first came into effect in 1915 and was applied individually by the different states. Colloquially known as the dry law, it was put into place to help ensure that citizens were sober and had their wits about them when they went to the voting stations.

Exceptions are applied strategically and include allowing some food and beverage establishments to serve alcohol with food over election periods. This is most prevalent in areas that are known for their tourism and see a higher tourist footprint. Mexico is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, with tourism generating $32.96 billion in revenue 2024, so keeping tourists happy is a very important objective for the country. With some tourists enjoying an alcoholic drink while experiencing Mexican food, having certain restaurants and bars still offering alcohol on election weekends is good for the country's business.

Election weekend isn't the only time that Mexican states can put a ban on alcohol sales and consumption. Observances of certain days, or restrictions placed on alcohol sales during times when the states need to keep tight control, like the COVID-19 pandemic, may also be implemented. Yucatán, for example, announced this restriction across a few months during the heart of the 2020 COVID pandemic, and particularly on Día de la Independencia (Independence Day) on 16 September, to help keep citizens sober and avoid dangerous social contact during the pandemic.