Sobering Reality

At his shop in northeast Syria, Ayaz Ibrahim wiped the dust off bottles of alcohol he said had become too pricey for customers following new regulations from the Islamist authorities. Residents have been feeling the pinch since Damascus took control of the nearby Semalka border crossing with Iraq in April under a deal to integrate Kurdish military and civilian institutions into the state.

Syria's new Islamist leaders -- who toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024 -- have not officially prohibited importing alcohol but have imposed hefty new taxes and stricter rules on its consumption. "Now only smuggled alcohol reaches us," said Ibrahim. "Anything smuggled has a much higher price, plus transport costs, so it's gone up a lot."

"It was better before"

Whisky that cost $7 for half a litre now costs $12. Many shelves are empty for lack of new stock. "If the situation stays like this, everyone will close their shops," Ibrahim said. At a nearly empty bar in Qamishli, Karl Hussein, 25, said the higher prices "have really affected us. We used to go out every Thursday night, but now we go out once a month."

Authorities have also stopped people from bringing in alcohol via the airport. Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh justified the tax increase as a way to "limit the consumption of products that are damaging to health" and bring in revenue for health and social security programmes. But for the Kurdish-majority region, which is considered relatively liberal, the curbs are a bitter pill.