How many of us have not heard about the ban on the sale of strong drinks to people under the age of 18, as well as a temporary barrier ?! We think many people know about this document, but not everyone supports it. At the same time, it is worth recognizing that the decree only positively affects society. Selling alcohol since 21 years old: myth or reality? Let's discuss the future bill in more detail.
Proposal to introduce a new bill
Last fall, deputy Drozdenko proposed that the Cabinet of Ministers draft a new bill that would prohibit the sale of alcohol to people who have not reached the age of 21. The decree caused a flurry of the most diverse emotions in society. Some say: such a ban will not be useful. Others argue that the sale of alcohol from the age of 21 is a well-founded decision, because the human brain is formed up to 25 years.
Prohibition of alcohol in other countries
Each country has a completely different attitude to alcohol. Today, Russia has a decree that prohibits the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of majority. This year, the government plans to introduce a bill to sell alcohol from the age of 21. While the decree is just being discussed, let's analyze alcohol bans in other countries. For example, in Morocco, Portugal, Italy, Georgia, and Austria, the government permits the sale of alcohol from sixteen. Most strictly with strong drinks in India. There, depending on the state, alcohol is sold to people aged 18 and 25. In all other countries, alcohol is freely sold to adults. The bill, which restricts the sale of strong drinks, is completely absent from them.
The absence of restrictions on alcohol, as, for example, in Equatorial Guinea, is a very poor indicator. Usually in such countries the highest percentage of alcohol consumption among young people. An interesting fact is that in some powers, alcohol is completely banned. These include Libya, The Gambia and Brunei.
Europe and America
It is no secret that not only Russia but also Europe and America suffer from alcohol dependence. The bill on the sale of alcohol from the age of 21, according to the US government, is an excellent option to significantly reduce the percentage of alcohol-dependent people. It is no secret that people who are intoxicated often become involved in traffic accidents, fires and many other life-threatening events.
In the USA, for the sale of alcohol to a person who has not reached the age of 21, the seller can get a fairly long term in the colony. The young buyer himself may lose his driver’s license, pay a fine, be sent to community service or be imprisoned for several months. No less harsh are alcohol in Israel, Switzerland and Estonia. There sellers who sell alcohol to minors can go to prison for six months, a year or six years. A considerable fine is issued for a minor buyer, which in most cases is paid by parents.
Negative sides of the bill
The sale of alcohol since the age of 21 in Russia, as the State Duma suggests, should reduce the percentage of alcohol consumption among adolescents. However, now many argue that this will not save the situation in the country. Recall that every year the percentage of young men who drink alcohol only increases. Today, the average age of minors who buy strong drinks is 14 years old!
Many residents of the Federation do not support the bill. Like, the sale of alcohol since the age of 21 in Russia can provoke an increase in the sale of surrogate alcohol. The best solution, according to those who do not support the bill, is the proper upbringing of the child, who will appreciate a healthy lifestyle, not alcohol.
Decree banning the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 21 in the Crimea
The new bill caused a lot of emotions in society. In Crimea, a possible ban on the sale of alcohol under the age of 21 is also being actively discussed. The peninsula authorities conducted a mass opinion poll to find out how people relate to the bill. Residents of the peninsula aged 21 to 40 years were interviewed. 79% of citizens voted to increase the age limit.
It is worth noting that some did not support the document and considered it meaningless. They argue that raising the age barrier is stupid, since an adult is allowed to marry, drive a car, join the army, and work. In their opinion, allowing a person everything except alcohol is at least strange.
Statistics
The ban on the sale of alcohol until the age of 21 caused a lot of controversy not only in society, but also among deputies. In support of the bill, Sergey Yuryevich Belyakov made a report. For clarity, he compiled statistics. It refers to the fact that in America in 1970 the age limit for the sale of alcohol was reduced from 21 to 18. This led to an increase in the number of accidents involving people intoxicated. As a result, after 18 years, the age limit was raised again.
America's researches proved: the ban on the sale of alcohol to people under 21 reduced the number of victims of road traffic accidents involving drunk persons by 900 people a year.
Rospotrebnadzor and Elena Mizulina on the law
He supported the bill and Rospotrebnadzor. The agency believes that the sale of alcohol to people under 21 years of age significantly increases the mortality rate. According to their estimates, about 500 thousand inhabitants of Russia die every year from excessive drinking. They also emphasized that 30 percent of the male population and 20% of the female population suffer from alcohol dependence.
The head of the family committee, Elena Mizulina, also spoke in favor of the project. In her opinion, the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 21 is wrong. She emphasizes that only a person older than this age can make informed decisions and ponder the consequences of their actions.
Anatoly Aksakov
The head of the department for economic policy, Anatoly Aksakov, also expressed his opinion regarding the sale of alcohol under 21 years of age. Unlike previous officials, he does not support the bill. In his opinion, such a law would contradict others. Anatoly believes that if the bill finally comes into force, it will be difficult to figure out which person can be called a minor. He claims that, on the one hand, a citizen at the age of 18 can already marry and be obligated, on the other hand, he, being the head of the family and, possibly, a young father, has no right to purchase alcohol.
Criticism towards Belyakov
The head of the alcohol market research center, Vadim Drobiz, criticized Belyakov’s report. He believes that this is a myth. Selling alcohol from the age of 21 will not improve the situation, but only lead to forgery of documents by minors, which will provoke a surge in underground trade. In his opinion, this is a more realistic picture of a future bill. Drobiz believes that eighteen years is an age peak among young people trying alcohol. He claims that until the age of 21, young people will enjoy plenty of alcohol and settle down, noticing how it affects the body.
Vadim Drobiz also proposes a bill that directly prohibits the use of alcohol from 10 to 18 years. For violation, in the form of a fine, he suggests assigning community work to adolescents, and with each repeated drive to the police for drinking alcohol, increase their number. Vadim believes that such a bill will not only benefit the young men, but also for the benefit of the country, since the monetary fine that is prescribed to young people is carefully paid by their parents. Instead, juvenile offenders make no conclusions for themselves.
Opinologist opinion
Former chief narcologist of Russia Alexey Nadezhdin also expressed his opinion about the bill, which is under consideration. Limiting the sale of alcohol from the age of 21, in his opinion, is a pretty good idea. He offers the government to investigate and understand everything in advance - will such a law bring benefits? As a plus of the bill, he cites statistics in which the age of patients with alcoholism begins with 17 years.
Ministry of Health on the bill
The Ministry of Health also expressed its point of view. The agency supports the bill and reports that the threshold for growing annually changes. One hundred years ago, an eighteen-year-old citizen had a family for a long time and was completely independent of his parents. Today, such a young man is still a child who cannot make informed decisions. Scientists have proved that at the age of 21, not only the growth of a person, but also his brain is not completely formed, so increasing the age of selling alcohol is a well-considered step.
The amount of the fine
Today, the Russian Federation has a law. It prohibits the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 18. Last year, fines were increased tenfold. Today, the seller who sold alcohol to a minor will be fined 150-200 thousand rubles, and the young buyer himself will be fined 30-50 thousand. If the teenager was caught drinking alcohol in a public place, then his parents will be required to pay a fine in the amount of 1.5 to 2 thousand rubles. This also applies to the appearance of a drunk teenager in society. The new bill implies an increase in the amount of fines. Selling alcohol to persons under the age of 21 will be punished not only by monetary sanctions, but also by imprisonment from two to six years.
Purpose of implementation
The bill, which is under consideration, should positively affect not only young people, but also society as a whole. According to the government, the sale of alcohol from the age of 21 will help reduce the number of alcoholics among adolescents, as well as protect them from rash acts and life-threatening incidents.
Statistics show that most unplanned pregnancies among teenage girls result from intoxication. Scientists have proved that babies born from one drunk parent in sixty cases out of a hundred are born with pathologies and diseases. If both parents were intoxicated, the ratio rises to eighty out of a hundred cases. Raising the age of alcohol sales to 21 years will reduce the percentage of unwanted pregnancies among teenage girls.
Total
The bill, which is under consideration and implies a ban on the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 21, has a lot of positive aspects. However, for the government to achieve all its goals, it will take a lot of research. Let's hope that such a law will positively affect society. Do not abuse alcohol and be healthy!