Vladimir Putin: Crackdown On Alcohol Is No Way To Solve The Country's Drinking Problem

Vladimir Putin thinks banning alcoholic drinks is no way to solve the country's drinking problem. In fact, a complex of measures is needed to solve it, but "the worst thing one could think of is to launch a crackdown," said the president, answering a question in a live TV show on Monday. "That was what they did under Gorbachev," noted Putin. "I don't know who proposed it, but it obviously produced an adverse effect, and we have to keep it in mind. It's a case when populist decisions won't work." According to Putin, the first thing to be done in order to "distract a person from the bottle" is to raise the material well-being of the population. A number of "educational measures" is also necessary. "You see, people need to have prospects for the future," he said. "Once they have these prospects, they will strive to realize them.... Only all of this taken together can produce a positive effect."