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Sunday, 24.07.2011
Medvedev orders beer restriction - but only from 2013
Moscow. President Dmitry Medvedev ratified the new version of the Alcohol Act. This will limit particularly sales and consumption of beer in public. Small consolation: The changes will not come into force until 2013.
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The new law on alcohol puts beer, now the favourite alcoholic drink in Russia, on the same level as other alcoholic beverages. Therefore beer will be subject to the same limitations as Vodka and co.
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Beer advertising will be prohibited
Televised beer commercials that up to now were permitted after 10pm are off limits in future. TV stations are threatend with massive income losses, as brewers were the largest customers for late evening slots.
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The law will also hit kiosk owners hard. They will no longer be allowed to sell beer which will erase the largest income source for kiosk owners.
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Nighttime ban on sale of beer
Even in supermarkets beer will no longer be available 24/7. The nighttime alcohol sales ban now applies also to Baltika, Shiguljovskoje or Klinskoje (Russian beers). Supermarket owners who sell beer between the hours of 10pm and 8am will lose their licence.
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When arranging a party it is necessary to plan ahead in future. The famous Russian saying: However many bottles you might have bought, you always have to get more" will no longer be valid. To get more supplies is out, at least after 10pm.
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Drinking in public will be expensive
Taking a walk with "the bottle in your hand" will be an offence, just like drinking on park benches or in backyards. The actual penalty is not known yet.
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This is supposed to teach Russians "civilized drinking". A complete ban on alcohol would not achieve the desired results as the Mikhail Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign impressively demonstrated.
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Although Dmitry Medvedev has already signed the bill the majority of changes will not come into force until January 2013, after the next presidential elections. Maybe the political leadership did not want to upset the male voters before the election.
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