Russia Bans Alcohol Advertising in all Media

A ban on alcohol advertising has gone into effect in Russia. It is part of Russian officials’ work to address the country’s drinking problem.

The ban prohibits alcohol advertising on television, radio, the Internet, public transport and billboards.

Host Aaron Schacter speaks to Moscow based journalist, Masha Gessen.

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Aaron Schacter: The Japanese are more sensitive to guns and they regulate accordingly. It might be argued that Americans, some of them anyway, are more sensitive to the dangers of alcohol and that’s reflected in how the sale of alcohol is regulated. In fact, among Western nations, the U.S. is notoriously tough in controlling booze sales and advertising. But Russia, yes Russia, is catching up. The government has banned all alcohol advertising, that means no ads on TV, radio, billboards or the internet. It’s part of a campaign to combat the country’s drinking problem. Russia’s drinking rate is double the maximum considered acceptable by the World Health Organization. We’re joined now by Moscow-based journalist, Masha Gessen. Masha, how bad is the drinking problem in Russia? It must be pretty serious to warrant a ban like this.

Masha Gessen: I don’t see what a ban on alcohol can possibly do to stem alcoholism. I hardly imagine that somebody watches a commercial and decides to take a drink, you know, that they otherwise wouldn’t take. This is one of many odd laws passed by the Russian Parliament recently that have not been publicly discussed, that have no public support behind them. And, the point of which is really not clear, but the consequences of which will be dire for the media here because of the loss of advertising revenue.

Schacter: Is there any contention that the point is to stifle the media?

Gessen: I think this is one of many ways of stifling the media. It’s probably not the most direct and not the most effective one, but it will certainly limit the field, the media field, in this country even further.

Schacter: Masha, in Gorbachev’s time, he saw a problem with alcoholism and he attempted to ban alcohol, not even advertising, but alcohol itself. How effective was that?

Gessen: Gorbachev actually did try not exactly to ban alcohol, but it came pretty close to severely limiting, rationing alcohol. What that ended up leading to was a lot of illegal production, a lot of consumption of illegally produced alcohol and alcohol substitutes; ultimately, a huge rise in alcohol as a disease and an even larger rise in deaths from poisoning. Russia has never actually gone back to pre-Gorbachev alcoholism levels, even since Gorbachev’s so-called anti-alcoholism policies were reversed.

Schacter: It sounds like you don’t think this ban on advertising will have much effect on the rate of alcoholism, if in fact that’s really what it’s intended to do.

Gessen: I have no faith in it at all. I think the test for it to have any chance of being effective in that respect, it would have to be part of a concerted campaign, and one simply isn’t happening.

Schacter: Masha Gessen is a Moscow-based journalist. She spoke with us about Russia’s alcohol ad ban. Thank you so much for speaking with us.

Gessen: Thank you.

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