Putin waters down Russia's beer ban
Tue Jan 11, 1:23 PM ET Health - AFP
MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) vetoed a bill banning the public consumption of beer, insisting that it be amended, a move welcomed by brewers hoping the law will be watered down.
The bill, passed by the lower and upper houses of parliament last year, would have completely barred the drinking of beer on the streets, a common practice by Russian teens, along with its sale near schools.
But the Russian leader demanded that lawmakers modify the law to define more precisely where the consumption of beer will be banned and to permit non-alcoholic beer to be drunk outside.
The head of the State Duma lower house of parliament's committee for economic policy, business and tourism, Valery Draganov, said that he was confident that Putin remained committed to the spirit of the law and understood "its social importance."
The law should be changed "to make it even harsher," he told the Moscow Echo radio.
However, the Russian Union of Brewers expressed confidence that the final measure would loosen restrictions on Russian consumption of beer in the open air.
"The law is confused and contradictory. It is not a coincidence that the president put the accent on the need to make several clauses in it more precise," the union's head Vyascheslav Mamontov said in a statement.
"Brewers are ready to work constructively with the parliament to amend the bill," he added.
Beer drinking has increased dramatically in post-Soviet times, and beer has become many Russians' favorite tipple, with most bottles consumed in public after being purchased at street kiosks.
Now, virtually every brand of mass-produced beer that is available elsewhere in the world can be found in Russia, and the beer market has reached six billion dollars in annual turnover.
Increasingly, however, it is being blamed for the high level of alcoholism in the country.
Alcohol is responsible for between 25,000 and 30,000 deaths per year in Russia, according to official figures. |
