The Public Chamber in Russia has put forward a proposal to reinstate Soviet-era restrictions on alcohol sales, limiting them from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Currently, alcoholic beverages can be purchased in Russia from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Proponents of this initiative believe that such a measure would significantly increase the life expectancy of the working-age population. However, critics and experts argue that this approach is ineffective and merely creates an illusion of addressing the underlying problem.
Sergei Rybalchenko, Chairman of the Public Chamber`s Demography Commission and the author of the initiative, explained the reasoning behind the proposal:
Sergei Rybalchenko (Chairman, Public Chamber Demography Commission)
«The primary goal is to increase the life expectancy, particularly for the working-age population. The Soviet period offers a demographic precedent; it was precisely then that record reductions in mortality, especially among the male population, and increases in birth rates were achieved. Therefore, the proposal is not about radical steps, but rather about implementing a consistent federal policy to reduce the temporal and spatial availability of alcohol. I believe that during the Soviet era, when strong alcohol was sold from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, it was absolutely correct, and it would be wise to gradually return to this time restriction. Regions, of course, can establish even stricter rules. Statistics confirm this: life expectancy first began to rise after alcohol consumption restrictions were introduced in 1985. When evaluating the so-called Gorbachev campaign, it is often assessed by negative factors that, let`s say, existed among the people. But if we look at the statistical indicators, for the first time in many years, an increase in life expectancy was recorded, primarily for men of working age.»
Conversely, Denis Puzyrev, an expert in the alcohol market and author of the «Drunk Master» Telegram channel, is convinced that the era of a planned economy and planned alcohol sales is long gone and cannot be effectively revived:
Denis Puzyrev (Alcohol Market Expert, Author of «Drunk Master»)
«I would like to point out that the author of this initiative, Sergei Rybalchenko, is a public figure who has been a member of various commissions developing demographic policy for 20 years. And judging by the fact that demographic policy has not improved over these 20 years, perhaps he should consider engaging in something else. As for the claim that alcohol sales until 7:00 PM in the Soviet Union were `wonderful,` I simply recall that the state trade system in the Soviet Union was structured so that all shops generally closed no later than 8:00 PM. Alcohol sales until 7:00 PM merely corresponded to the shops` operating hours. And generally, all these proposals — `let`s do it like in the Soviet Union,` `bring back ice cream for 10 kopecks,` and then propose various foolish ideas — I think the authors of these proposals should clearly remember what actually happened in the Soviet Union when the time, place, and quantity of alcohol sold were restricted. I distinctly remember huge queues, storming of liquor departments, and crushes. It didn`t bring anything globally good, despite the fact that the level of alcohol consumption in the late Soviet Union was higher. And when the Soviet leadership introduced such measures, the trend was upward — per capita alcohol consumption was growing. Now the trend is downward, and why introduce additional restrictions on a downward trend is absolutely unclear.»
Current federal law allows Russian regions to impose additional, stricter rules for the sale of alcoholic beverages beyond the national regulations. For instance, since March 1st of this year, in Vologda Oblast, alcohol sales on weekdays are permitted only from noon to 2:00 PM. In Chechnya, sales are restricted to 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Yakutia limits sales to just six hours a day, from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM, while Tuva restricts them from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
