Duma passes law to limit beer advertising

On Thursday, the State Duma passed the law "On Advertising" in the third reading. The law considerably limits advertising beer in the mass media.

Over the necessary 226 votes, 439 Duma members supported the law.

According to the law, any type of advertising for beer or drinks containing beer cannot contain claims that using the product influences success. It is prohibited to note that beer is harmless or that it has beneficial therapeutic properties. Also, beer advertising cannot be directed toward minors.

The law bans advertising beer on radio and television programs from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The commercials are prohibited from using the images of people or animals, including animated cartoons.

The law also bans beer advertisements that are in or closer than 100 meters away from children's, educational, medical, health improvement, sports and cultural organizations.

State Duna Deputy Speaker Vladimir Pekhtin said the law meets the interests of the entire society, "except, of course, brewers who have been placed at the same level as the producers of strong drinks."

In his opinion, this is a just decision, "because beer alcoholism is no better than wine and vodka alcoholism."

"The beer advertisements are even more dangerous in some respects, because they mainly target young people and even teenagers. Sometimes the situation became absurd when animated cartoons for babies were interrupted by beer commercials," the State Duma Vice Speaker said.

He said that presently, according to toxicologists, "up to 40% of young people drink beer regularly and the use of the drink among young people has been steadily growing in the past few years."

"The state has the right," he said, "it is even duty bound to protect the rising generation of the Russians from advertising harmful habits."