Clamping down on beer
Scientists are predicting that life expectancy among Russian men will continue to fall over the next four decades, possibly to below 50 years from birth. If these projections are correct, they mean that any demographic gains for the country from declines in infant mortality and from any increase in the birth rate will be more than wiped out, with all the economic, political and military consequences that entails.
Obviously, one factor contributing to Russian men’s early demise is alcohol abuse. Unable to do anything about the social and individual psychological issues that make Russian men (and women, it should be added) seek solace in the bottle, Soviet and Russian leaders have regularly resorted to some form of prohibition or other to combat excessive alcohol consumption.
In effect, President Medvedev’s initiatives are far from new.
The proposals include tougher sanctions against retailers who break alcohol sale laws, which may lead to criminal proceedings against repeat offenders.
The law will also enable regional authorities to introduce restrictions on the times, conditions and locations of alcohol sales.
The measures also include a ban on selling “low-alcoholic drinks” in containers of more than 330 ml.
Obviously, Kremlin-watchers are curious to find out what President Medvedev considers a “light alcoholic drink”. Does this include beer?
In good old Russian tradition, the President opted for this ambiguity as concerns beer in order to see how willing Russia’s brewers are to bargain with him. Brewers would have most to lose from the ban. Beer is usually sold in glass and PET bottles larger than 0.5 litres. In 2006, for example, the number three brewer in Russia, Heineken, bottled about 45 percent of its beers in 1.5 litre PET bottles.
Readers will be most interested to know that the new container law does not apply to wine, vodka, or other hard liquors.
Perhaps the Kremlin is aware that clamping down on vodka will only drive consumers to produce and consumer more moonshine.
The average Russian is said to drink 17 litres of spirits a year.
Russian media report that around 500,000 Russians die from alcohol-related deaths annually. Alcohol is also involved in some 80 percent of murders and 40 percent of suicides in Russia, the reports say.
The pollster VTsIOM has said that 65 percent of Russians would support an anti-alcohol programme, with 34 percent totally in favour of a campaign and 31 percent "likely to support it." Only 8 percent of respondents were against the initiative and 17 percent preferred to say “no” to any campaign with 10 percent unable to answer.
The pollster said more women were in favour of anti-alcohol measures than men, which is hardly surprising as alcohol abuse by men and the impact on families is an issue that comes up again and again on day-time Russian chat-shows.
Seems like President Medvedev has instrumentalised the media well in his campaign against alcohol.
