Regional Restrictions on Alcohol Sales in Russia Not Leading to Serious Decline in Consumption of Hard Liquor or Surrogates

Paul Goble

    Staunton, Apr. 13 – A Duma law allowing Russia’s federal subjects to restrict the sale of alcohol, a step 16 of them have taken, has not led to a serious decline in consumption of hard liquor but rather to a crazy quilt of regulations that in the absence of real reforms allows officials to claim real progress without making any.

    That is the conclusion of experts surveyed by journalist Kiri Delivoriya of the Versiya news agency who say that officials need the tax revenue they get from alcohol sales too much and are quite prepared to look the other way as retailers sell hard liquor under the table (versia.ru/zaprety-na-prodazhi-spirtnogo-grozyat-privesti-k-nelegalnoj-torgovle-i-rostu-korrupcii).

    In many places, officials have opened more licensed stores even as they have restricted the hours alcohol can be sold. The officials need the money both for their own projects and to support local sports teams. But the whole exercise looks like yet another example of pokazuka, an effort designed to make an impression rather than to achieve other more serious goals.  

    Moreover, these officials have done little or nothing to prevent Russians who can’t easily get liquor directly or indirectly from legal suppliers to turn to people who can supply them with samogon, the Russian term for home-made booze, or for surrogates which may be even more dangerous.

    As a result, what data is available shows that Russian continue to consume more hard liquor per capita each year than the WHO says is genetically harmful in addition to growing quantities of wine and beer which push that figure still higher and lead to more illnesses and deaths.

    The experts tell Delivoriya that with Moscow’s support, regional officials are repeating most of the same mistakes that occurred during Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol campaign, getting good numbers to report to the center but failing to take the various steps necessary to wean Russians off from their dependence on vodka and other forms of hard liquor.