Boozing in Iran: “A Sense of First World Inclusion” and Protest

Since the 1979 revolution and establishment of the Islamic Republic, the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages has been prohibited to Iran’s Muslim population. Nevertheless, according to a World Health Organization report, recorded and unrecorded annual per capita alcohol consumption for Iranian males reached 1.9 liters in 2016. The WHO report, along with frequent reports of poisoning from homemade alcohol in the Iranian media, were discussed by sociologist Fardin Alikhah in Shargh Daily.

• July 8: In an interview with reformist Shargh Daily, Alikhah explained the main reasons behind alcohol consumption in Iran: “We have seen the drinking of alcoholic beverages in the years since the revolution, but I agree with you that in recent years, we have seen the spread of alcohol consumption to different social classes. The statistics may not be available, but according to the indicators, the trend is increasing and not decreasing … The reasons include a nostalgic longing for the past … When we Google the word ‘songs,’ the first search results refer to pre-revolution songs about drinking … So, drinking provides a nostalgic journey to the 1970s … Next, transgression is a source of pleasure. The truth is that we are living under abnormal circumstances. We face people and forces that interfere in all aspects of our daily life … There are no legal avenues for the expression of protest, which makes some people take pleasure in breaking norms. They think of drinking as an act of resistance against the government … This is clear on social media: When people raise their glasses, drinking is invariably coupled with cursing certain individuals in the executive branch of the government! Why? Because they are enjoying themselves and perceive joy as the opposite of what the government wishes for them! Thus, drinking becomes an act of opposition … Drinking is also an act of escapism … a source of prestige … but also a sense of first world inclusion … As a young man told me during an interview: ‘I can’t afford to migrate to Europe, so I am creating a small Europe for myself by drinking.’”

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