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Consumption of alcohol in Russia is at a high level and is not decreasing. If the authorities decide to raise prices, people will start to make alcohol at home, which results in many health problems and even death is not uncommon. If they lower the price, the increase in alcohol consumption will immediately show up in the figures. The portal idnes.cz looked into the topic.
Many people were literally shocked for this reason by the statement of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade that it would propose to declare beer a non-alcoholic beverage. It is clear that the idea is liked by breweries, but many people and especially deputies are appalled by it, according to the TASS agency. One deputy even wants to sue the ministry. Reported the RBK agency.
Beer as a non-alcoholic beverage
With this proposal the ministry hopes to revive the market. Beer regulation in Russia is among the strictest in the world. Beer may not be sold in plastic bottles in volumes greater than half a liter, its night-time sale or sale in street stalls is prohibited. Breweries do not like such strict regulation, which is why they defend the ministry’s proposal.
Russia has a serious problem with alcohol and price regulations do not help. Public awareness is weak and alcohol is decimating especially the male population. It is therefore no wonder that a wave of resistance has risen against the proposal. The deputy and former Russian chief sanitary officer Gennady Onishchenko , who filed a lawsuit against the ministry, said ironically: ” Now we will sell beer in schools and prescribe to breastfeeding mothers that they should increase lactation? “
