Russia fails to ban drinking in public despite soaring alcoholism
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《英国医生杂志》
An unprecedented drive to curb the post-Soviet boom in drinking on Russia's streets—a move designed to stamp out soaring levels of child alcoholism—has been unexpectedly derailed.
Beer is regarded as a soft drink by many Russians, and the country's brewers have enjoyed huge success since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, with beer supplanting vodka as the tipple of choice among many young Russians.
Priced at little more than 40p ($0.74; 0.57) a bottle and regarded as little more than a potent form of lemonade, it is not uncommon to see children as young as 11 drinking beer after school with their friends and to see commuters swigging bottles of beer on Moscow's underground in the mornings. In practice, there is no age limit.
The upper house of Russia's parliament has struck down a bill outlawing drinking alchohol in public places
Credit: JAMES HILL/GETTY IMAGES
The Russian parliament, however, which is increasingly keen to sweep away many of the excesses which have crept into Russian society in the past 13 years, had decided that enough was enough.
The lower house repeatedly and overwhelmingly backed a bill that would have banned drinking beer in public—on the street, in sports' stadiums, in parks, on public transport, in schools, and in hospitals.
The sale of beer to children younger than 18 would also have been outlawed and fines of ￡2 imposed on transgressors. The ban was supposed to accompany tough new restrictions on the advertising of beer on television, which are due to come into force next year.
The Federation Council or upper house, however, has unexpectedly struck down the bill demanding that it be substantially diluted because it is too severe. Observers expect that street drinking will not now be outlawed, and that more specific measures to combat child alcoholism will remain in place.(Andrew Osborn)
Beer is regarded as a soft drink by many Russians, and the country's brewers have enjoyed huge success since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, with beer supplanting vodka as the tipple of choice among many young Russians.
Priced at little more than 40p ($0.74; 0.57) a bottle and regarded as little more than a potent form of lemonade, it is not uncommon to see children as young as 11 drinking beer after school with their friends and to see commuters swigging bottles of beer on Moscow's underground in the mornings. In practice, there is no age limit.
The upper house of Russia's parliament has struck down a bill outlawing drinking alchohol in public places
Credit: JAMES HILL/GETTY IMAGES
The Russian parliament, however, which is increasingly keen to sweep away many of the excesses which have crept into Russian society in the past 13 years, had decided that enough was enough.
The lower house repeatedly and overwhelmingly backed a bill that would have banned drinking beer in public—on the street, in sports' stadiums, in parks, on public transport, in schools, and in hospitals.
The sale of beer to children younger than 18 would also have been outlawed and fines of ￡2 imposed on transgressors. The ban was supposed to accompany tough new restrictions on the advertising of beer on television, which are due to come into force next year.
The Federation Council or upper house, however, has unexpectedly struck down the bill demanding that it be substantially diluted because it is too severe. Observers expect that street drinking will not now be outlawed, and that more specific measures to combat child alcoholism will remain in place.(Andrew Osborn)