Vsevolod Chaplin: ‘Beer is dangerous if it is affordable to both a pupil and a beggar’

Beer lobby vs. Vodka lobby

Among those who are trying to put the foot in the Overton window, slightly opened by the difficulties of the Russian economy, turned out to be lobbyists for tobacco, alcohol and gambling business. The time for them could not be more favorable. Raise the national economy, as during the later Brezhnev, with the help of vodka! Destroy foreign infection with hops import substitution! Such ideas, no matter how crazy and destructive they may seem in public space, can be a good emotional lining for backroom lobbying of the laws and business projects, which will rollback the society from the positions, which had been conquered by the supporters of the nation's health and strictness of morals with great difficulty.

Not so long ago, the advance guard of advocates for these values seem to be moved forward in a hitherto forbidden zone. There was a proposal to prohibit the sale of beer in large plastic bag – one-two-liter bottles which cost almost as much as 'plastic' with nonalcoholic drinks. This idea, found few supporters in white house offices, was actively supported by a famous Orthodox missionary hieromonk Dimitry (Pershin). Almost immediately he and other 'fighter against plastic'… were accused of lobbying of vodka. And, of course, of the work with the companies producing aluminum and glass packaging for beer. Such arguments in the backrooms have been heard before: if you are against beer, you're for vodka, if you are against vodka – you are for beer. Two lobbies, which have long been working against each other, it seems, do not believe in the existence of intelligent life not related to none of this lobby.

'They supported a plastic container, making the medical and technical arguments about its harmlessness. It, maybe, is not dangerous for health. Dangerous is beer if it becomes affordable in large quantities to both a pupil and a beggar.' Photo: kommersant.ru

At the end of December, 'anti-plastic' measures were also criticized at the hearings in the Civil Chamber. They supported a plastic container, making the medical and technical arguments about its harmlessness. It, maybe, is not dangerous for health. Dangerous is beer if it becomes affordable in large quantities to both a pupil and a beggar. By the way, I suggested in the Civic Chamber to hold hearings on the activities of the beer lobby but have not received the answer to the letter on this issue yet.

The liberalization of the laws in the threshold of FIFA 2018

Actually, it is not difficult to draft a bill assuming the reduction in the affordability and availability of beer and at the same time not pushing people to liquor. It is possible 'to change' the refusal from beer in cheap plastic to the refusal for selling in grocery stores all that is stronger than 30 degrees. If you want liquor – go to special outlets that would be great, by the way, to close at nine o'clock in the evening. This measure, of course, will make beer and liquor lobby friends for a long time, but it will help us to cope with both of them.

There are also other 'breakthrough' ideas about how to revitalize the business and to replenish the budget. The bar of restrictions on wine advertising on television and radio has already been lowered, and beer — in the stadiums and in the framework of sports broadcasts. Of course, the first trend is justified by the support of the Russian producers, the second – the proximity of the World Cup. Further – more. In the Civic Chamber, the printing press was allowed advertising tobacco and alcohol for the reason of their save. The same idea was expressed by one of the last knights of Russian liberalism – Vice Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation Aleksey Volin.

'In the Duma it grew with new initiatives, including a proposal to conduct a 'drawless state lottery' with the use of lottery machines and video terminals. It is also proposed to conduct some 'lottery shops.' Photo: unian.net

Gambling houses: back in the 1990s

In June, the first reading in the State Duma a government bill on amendments to the law 'On lotteries' and some other legislative acts were brought in. It was originally aimed against money laundering and terrorist financing. Apparently, already in the Duma it grew with new initiatives, including a proposal to conduct a 'drawless state lottery' with the use of lottery machines and video terminals. It is also proposed to conduct some 'lottery shops'.

The members of the Civic Chamber consider that behind these obscure terms there are banal slot machines and rooms where they are installed. The head of the organization 'I love Russia', the rayon municipal deputy from Strogino Yury Chernousov put in this regard a petition on the website change.org that has already been signed by more than 170,000 people. Its author writes: 'Over our country there is a terrible and ugly shadow of the 1990s and the legalization of gaming parlors… For all of us, it means the social regression, the explosion of crime and corruption.'

Unlike beer lobbyists, the authors of this initiative do not start the dialogue with the society. It seems they are confident in their success – it is rumored that the law can be adopted in the second and third readings 'quickly', before the end of the Duma of present convocation. And it means that the social activists are sounding the alarm correctly. The backroom negotiations with the masters of quiet lobbying and bureaucratic brethren will lead to nothing.

The only way to torpedo the attempt to use anti-crisis slogans to go back to the moral outrage of the recent past – it is a wide announcement of the problem. Maybe top heads will hear, and most importantly – the parents, wives, children of potential victims of alcohol, tobacco and game addiction.