Russia: Restrictions on beer advertising affects negatively beer consumption

According to ROMIR Monitoring, an authoritative Russian pollster, 34% of Russians do not drink beer at all. Twelve percent of beer-drinkers diminished their beer consumption, whereas 86% said the law had not affected their habit. 10 percent of Russians say they have drunk less beer since a law restricting beer advertising on television was introduced a year ago, RIA Novosti reported on September 1.

The poll covered 1,600 people, age 18 and up, from more than 100 settlements, towns, and cities representing all of Russia's federal districts. The margin of error did not exceed 3%.

The effect of the restrictions varied according to region. For example, advertising restrictions did not affect 95% of those polled in the Urals Federal District, whereas 24% of respondents in the neighboring Siberian Federal District said they drank less beer.

Social scientists noticed no change in attitudes to this law, with an overwhelming majority of Russians (70%) supporting it and only 7% opposing it.

Lawmakers had hoped to discourage beer drinking among young people. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that every third young person, age 18-24, said advertising restrictions made beer less popular among their peers.