Lula Signs Law Toughening Penalties for Giving Alcohol to Minors

Overview

• Law No. 15.234/2025 was published on October 8 in the official gazette and took effect immediately, with no presidential vetoes.
• It amends ECA Article 243 by allowing a one‑third to one‑half sentence increase when the minor consumes the substance, extending potential detention from the existing 2–4 years to roughly six years.
• The statute applies to anyone who sells, provides, serves, administers or delivers alcohol or other dependence‑causing products to minors, including free provision.
• The measure advanced through Senate approval in September after favorable reports in the CDH and CCJ, with Senators Damares Alves and Margareth Buzetti as rapporteurs; coverage cites Deputy Laura Carneiro’s PL 942/2024 as the origin while another report lists Damares as the presenter.
• Officials and supporters referenced studies indicating rising alcohol‑use disorder among adolescents, including figures reported from a Ministry of Justice and Unifesp partnership.