The anti-alcohol campaign began a year. Anti-alcohol campaign by M.S. Gorbachev. Anti-alcohol campaigns in the ussr

They tried to fight the addiction of Russians to alcohol both in Tsarist Russia and in the Soviet Union. When the Bolsheviks came to power in 1917, they administratively banned the production of alcohol until 1923.

Then attempts to combat drunkenness were made several times - in 1929, 1958, 1972. However, the most famous and resonant is considered the anti-alcohol campaign of 1985-1987, which characterized the beginning of perestroika and the government. Mikhail Gorbachev.

Drunkenness fight

The first to speak about the need for another anti-alcohol campaign general Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Yuri Andropov... According to the Soviet leader, due to the decline in the moral values \u200b\u200bof alcohol-addicted citizens, the growth of the national economy is slowing down. Indeed, by 1984, according to official statistics, the consumption of alcoholic beverages reached 10.5 liters per person per year, and if we take into account the moonshine, then all 14. For comparison: during the reign of Tsarist Russia or the reign of Joseph Stalin, one citizen consumed no more than 5 liters alcohol per year. The idea of \u200b\u200ban anti-alcohol campaign was supported members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee Egor Ligachev and Mikhail Solomentsev.

On May 7, 1985, the resolution "On measures to overcome drunkenness and alcoholism and the eradication of home brewing" was adopted. The document provided for the strengthening of the fight against the "green serpent", as well as a reduction in the production of alcohol, the time of its sale and the closure of a number of shops selling alcoholic drinks.

And on May 16 of the same year, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On strengthening the fight against drunkenness and alcoholism, and the eradication of moonshine" came into force. This document has already introduced administrative and criminal penalties for non-compliance with Prohibition.

“In 1985, a month after the ban was introduced, I had a wedding. Today our wedding is remembered with sincere emotion and laughter, our relatives are normal Soviet people, they love this business. But since it was impossible to drink, they did this: they removed all the bottles, put the teapots, poured cognac into them. And all the guests drank tea, washed down with lemonade. Why did you have to hide? And because everyone was party members, they could have kicked out just at one time, if they saw brandy on the tables, ”recalls executive Director of the Research Institute of History, Economics and Law Igor Suzdaltsev.

The path to moonshine

As you know, a significant share of budget revenues is made up of alcohol revenues. It seems that the Soviet authorities sincerely wanted to "cure" citizens of drunkenness, since they turned a blind eye to the treasury revenues from alcohol. As part of the implementation of the Prohibition in the USSR, many shops selling alcoholic beverages were closed. The remaining outlets could only sell alcohol from 14:00 to 19:00. In addition, the cheapest bottle of vodka in 1986 rose to 9.1 rubles (the average salary was 196 rubles then). Drinkers were forbidden to drink alcohol on boulevards and in parks, on long-distance trains. If a citizen was caught drinking alcohol in the wrong place, he could be fired from his job, and the party members were expelled from the party.

Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the USSR did not think to give up the consumption of alcoholic beverages, they just switched to moonshine instead of "official" alcohol. In addition to moonshine, alcohol-containing surrogates increasingly appeared on the tables of Soviet citizens.

Soviet anti-alcohol poster

The anti-alcohol campaign dealt an irreparable blow to winemaking and viticulture - they planned to reorient this structure to the production of table varieties of berries. The state has reduced the program to finance the establishment of new vineyards and the care of existing plantings. In addition, the felling of vineyards was widely practiced on the territory of the Soviet republics. For example, out of 210 thousand hectares of vineyards located in Moldova, 80 thousand were destroyed. In Ukraine, 60 thousand hectares of vineyards were cut down. According to the former secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Republic Yakov Pogrebnyak, revenues from vineyards accounted for a fifth of the budget of Ukraine.

In Russia, over five years (from 1985 to 1990) the area of \u200b\u200bvineyards has decreased from 200 to 168 hectares, and the average annual harvest of berries has almost halved - from 850 thousand tons to 430 thousand tons.

Yegor Ligachev and Mikhail Gorbachev denied the involvement of the top leadership of the USSR in cutting down the vineyards. According to Gorbachev, the destruction of the vine was a step against him.

Alcohol "took revenge" on the budget

As a result, Prohibition resulted in budget holes - if before the start of the anti-alcohol campaign, about a quarter of the state treasury receipts from retail trade accounted for alcohol, then in 1986 the state treasury revenues from the food industry amounted to only 38 billion rubles, and in 1987, even 35 billion rubles. instead of the previous 60 billion. The fall in budget revenues from alcohol coincided with the economic crisis that began in 1987, and the Soviet government had to abandon the fight against drunkenness.

The anti-alcohol campaign of the 80s is called the most serious mistake of the perestroika period. Even its initiator, Yegor Ligachev, admitted the fallacy of this idea. “I was the most active organizer and conductor of that anti-alcohol campaign.<…> We wanted to quickly rid the people of drunkenness. But we were wrong! To cope with drunkenness, many years of active, smart anti-alcohol policy are needed, "Ligachev quotes Evgeny Dodolev in the book “The Red Dozen. The collapse of the USSR ".

However, the effect of Prohibition is still ambiguous. Firstly, with such a complex of measures, alcohol sales per capita decreased by 2.5 times, according to the State Statistics Service. At the same time, life expectancy has increased, the birth rate has increased and mortality has decreased. According to statistics, during the period of the anti-alcohol campaign, 500 thousand more children were born than in recent decades, the weakened newborns were 8% less. Moreover, during the Prohibition period, life expectancy among men increased by 2.6 years, which was the maximum in the entire history of Russia.

Creative work

Anti-alcohol campaign

Introduction. Alcohol: what is this evil?

Alcohol brings joy and sorrow.

Imaginary joy, real grief.

A.V. Melnikov

Alcoholic drinks (ethyl alcohol, in common parlance - alcohol) are drinks containing ethanol.

Ethanol is a natural psychoactive substance that has a depressant effect on the central nervous system. In most countries, the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages is subject to strict laws (for example, limiting the age at which alcohol can be bought and consumed). The production and consumption of alcohol has a deep history and is widespread in many cultures of human civilization. In many societies, drinking alcohol is an important part of certain family and community events.

Compared to other alcohols, ethanol has a relatively low toxicity, while having a significant psychoactive effect. The use of ethanol causes intoxication, as a result of which a person's reaction speed and attention decrease, coordination of movements and thinking are impaired. Excessive and / or regular use of alcohol causes drug addiction (alcoholism).

In 1975, the World Health Assembly ruled "to regard alcohol as a health-damaging drug." The toxicology of alcohol is now well understood.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (vol. 2, p. 116) says that "alcohol belongs to narcotic poisons."

According to the current standard GOST 5964-93, ethyl alcohol is a flammable, colorless liquid with a characteristic odor.

In everyday life, alcoholic products are often collectively referred to as alcohol. Alcohol abuse almost always leads to alcoholism in people predisposed to it. Overdose of alcoholic beverages under some conditions leads to poisoning (hangover) and even death.

It's strange: the harm of alcoholic beverages has been scientifically proven, but sociological surveys show that our everyday ideas about alcohol often contradict scientific data. People tend to focus more on personal experience and their own feelings. If it seems to a person that alcohol invigorates him, then he is unlikely to easily agree with the indisputable scientific fact that alcohol refers to psychoactive substances that inhibit, and not stimulate, action. But to deny or ignore science is senseless and harmful.

Part 1. Soviet anti-alcohol campaign

The anti-alcohol campaign in the USSR is a set of government measures to reduce alcohol consumption among the population under the general slogan "Drunkenness - fight!" In the Soviet Union, attempts were made to combat drunkenness more than once. At present, the anti-alcohol campaign is most famous in the period 1985-1987, before and at the very beginning of Perestroika. However, the fight against drunkenness was also waged under Gorbachev's predecessors (nevertheless, alcohol consumption in the USSR grew steadily). In 1958, a resolution was adopted by the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Soviet government "On strengthening the fight against drunkenness and on establishing order in the trade in spirits." It was forbidden to sell vodka in all public catering establishments (except for restaurants) located at train stations, airports, and at the station squares. The sale of vodka in the immediate vicinity of industrial enterprises, educational institutions, children's institutions, hospitals, sanatoriums, in places of mass festivities and recreation was not allowed. On May 16, 1972, Decree No. 361 "On measures to strengthen the fight against drunkenness and alcoholism" was published. It was supposed to reduce the production of spirits, but instead to expand the production of grape wine, beer and soft drinks. The prices for alcohol were also increased; the production of vodka with a strength of 50 and 56 ° was stopped; the time of trade in alcoholic beverages with a strength of 30 ° and above was limited to the interval from 11 to 19 hours; medical and labor dispensaries were created, where people were sent forcibly; scenes with the use of alcoholic beverages were cut from the films.

On May 7, 1985, the Central Committee of the CPSU adopted resolutions "On measures to overcome drunkenness and alcoholism" and Resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers N 410 "On measures to overcome drunkenness and alcoholism, and the eradication of moonshine." According to these documents, all party, administrative and law enforcement agencies were instructed to decisively and everywhere strengthen the fight against drunkenness and alcoholism, with a significant reduction in the production of alcoholic beverages, the number of points of sale and the time of sale. On May 16, 1985, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was issued "On strengthening the fight against drunkenness and alcoholism, the eradication of home brewing", which reinforced this struggle with administrative and criminal penalties. The corresponding decrees were adopted simultaneously in all union republics. In the fulfillment of this task, trade unions, the entire education and health care system, all public organizations and even creative unions (unions of writers, composers, etc.) were also involved without fail. The execution was unprecedented in scale. For the first time, the state decided to reduce income from alcohol, which was an important item in the state budget, and began to sharply reduce its production. At that time, many vineyards were cut down.

The initiators of the campaign were members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee M. S. Solomentsev and E. K. Ligachev, who, following Yuri Andropov, believed that one of the reasons for the stagnation of the Soviet economy was the general decline in the moral and ethical values \u200b\u200bof the "builders of communism" and a negligent attitude towards labor. in which mass alcoholism was "guilty".

After the start of the fight against drunkenness in the country, a large number of stores selling alcoholic beverages were closed. Severe measures were taken against drinking alcohol in parks and public gardens, as well as on long-distance trains. Those who were caught drunk were in serious trouble at work. Banquets related to the defense of dissertations were banned, alcohol-free weddings were promoted. Tough requirements of refusal from alcohol began to be imposed on the members of the Party.

Campaign results. Over the years of the anti-alcohol campaign, the officially registered average per capita alcohol sales in the country have decreased by more than 2.5 times. In 1985-1987, a decrease in state sales of alcohol was accompanied by an increase in life expectancy, an increase in the birth rate, and a decrease in mortality. During the period of the anti-alcohol decree, 5.5 million newborns were born per year, 500 thousand more per year than every year in the previous 20-30 years, and the weakened were born 8% less. The life expectancy of men increased by 2.6 years and reached the maximum value in the entire history of Russia, and the overall crime rate has decreased.

At the same time, the real decline in alcohol consumption was less significant, mainly due to the development of home brewing, as well as the illegal production of alcoholic beverages at state-owned enterprises. Strengthening home-brewing led to a shortage in the retail sale of raw materials for moonshine - sugar, and then cheap sweets. The previously existing shadow market of artisanal alcohol received significant development in these years - vodka added to the list of goods that had to be “obtained”. Despite the decrease in the total number of alcohol poisoning, the number of poisoning with alcohol-containing surrogates and non-alcoholic intoxicants has increased (for example, the practice of adding dichlorvos to beer in order to increase intoxication has become widespread), and the number of drug addicts has also increased. Nevertheless, the increase in the consumption of "illegal" alcohol did not compensate for the drop in the consumption of alcohol "legal", as a result of which a real reduction in the total consumption of alcohol was still observed, which explains the beneficial consequences (a decrease in mortality and crime, an increase in the birth rate and life expectancy ) that were observed during the anti-alcohol campaign.

Aimed at the "moral improvement" of Soviet society, the anti-alcohol campaign in reality achieved completely different results. In the mass consciousness, it was perceived as an absurd initiative of the authorities directed against the “common people”. For those widely involved in the shadow economy and the party and economic elite (where a feast with alcohol was a nomenklatura tradition) alcohol was still available, and ordinary consumers were forced to "get it".

Unique collectible grape varieties were destroyed.

The decline in alcohol sales caused serious damage to the Soviet budget system, as the annual retail turnover fell on average by 16 billion rubles.

Mass dissatisfaction with the campaign and the economic crisis that began in the USSR in 1987 forced the Soviet leadership to end the fight against the production and consumption of alcohol. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the anti-alcohol campaign in 2005, Gorbachev remarked in one of his interviews: "Because of the mistakes made, a good big deal ended ingloriously."

According to a poll conducted by VTsIOM in 2005, 58% of Russians on the whole positively assess the anti-alcohol campaign in the second half of the 1980s. However, only 15% believe that it has brought positive results.

Part 2. Anti-alcohol campaign in modern Russia

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is seriously concerned about the problem of drunkenness. Alcoholism has become a national disaster in Russia, Dmitry Medvedev said when he opened an expanded meeting on the problem in Sochi in August 2009. The president cited data according to which for every person, including babies, there are about eighteen liters of pure alcohol a year. This figure is twice the level that the World Health Organization considers dangerous to human life. Up to half a million people die from alcohol-related diseases in Russia every year.

Medvedev noted that the measures already taken by the state to reduce alcohol consumption have failed to improve the situation. “In recent years, a number of measures have already been taken - the conditions for the production and circulation of alcoholic beverages have been tightened, advertising of alcohol has been severely limited, the punishment for drunk driving has become stricter, but there is no need to talk about qualitative changes yet,” the head of state admitted. “To be frank, I think that there is no need to talk about any changes, nothing helped.”

The President said that it is necessary to develop a set of measures to eradicate this vice, which would make the fight against alcoholism more effective, systematic and long-term. “The most important thing is that people should be able to lead a normal, full, healthy, sober lifestyle,” the president said, adding that this can only be achieved on the basis of normal living standards in our country. "In a poor country drunkenness cannot be defeated," he stressed.

At the same time, according to him, "the growth of well-being does not automatically lead to a decrease in alcohol consumption." At the same time, the head of state referred to the example of the 90s, when Russians lived worse, but consumed less alcohol.

Dmitry Medvedev also suggested making more extensive use of preventive measures to combat alcoholism, taking into account the experience of foreign countries in this area. “Life has already proved that the problem cannot be solved by administrative prohibitions alone, and the utmost attention should be paid to the prevention of alcoholism, especially among young people,” he said. “This needs to be done at a new, modern level, using all the possibilities of the education system and the media, taking into account the psychology and interests of young people, of the new generation, that is, to work without patterns that have set the teeth on edge and involving various public organizations in such work”.

According to the President, drunkenness is an age-old problem, and it cannot be solved in a short time, but many foreign countries have gone this way. “And no matter how many different things are said in our country, that we have it inherent in the stereotypes of behavior, that it is practically impossible to fight this in Russia, it must be admitted that these countries were quite successful in these matters,” Medvedev said.

At present, among adolescents, the consumption of low-alcohol drinks and beer is rapidly growing - such drinks daily or every other day are drunk by a third of boys and almost 20% of girls. In this regard, Medvedev proposed to change the approach to their production and circulation and extend to them the general principles of regulation and the same restrictions that apply to spirits. According to the president, "this may entail various consequences, we will need to calculate them, but we need to make an effective decision in this area." This, the head of state noted, concerns both the ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages near schools, leisure centers, sports facilities, and the requirements for commercial premises where they can be sold, and restrictions on advertising such drinks. “I think these proposals are very serious. They require a thorough analysis, a fairly detailed discussion, ”the head of state stressed.

Federation Council Chairman Sergei Mironov believes that in Russia it is necessary to introduce an absolute ban on advertising of tobacco and alcohol, since the statistics of human mortality due to the aforementioned vices "is simply shocking." “The scale of alcoholization in our country is already threatening national security, and in terms of smoking, our country is in fourth place in the world. Every year, 400 thousand schoolchildren aged 10 to 13 start smoking in Russia, ”the leader of Fair Russia said in mid-autumn 2009 and added that his party had already developed a bill that would not only prohibit tobacco advertising and smoking , but also carrying out active anti-alcohol and anti-tobacco propaganda. “Our bill proposes to provide social advertising on TV channels and radio stations on a daily basis about the dangers of alcohol and smoking. It will be a kind of anti-advertising, ”the speaker emphasized.

Anti-alcohol and anti-tobacco commercials on the air on absolutely all TV channels and information media, according to Mironov, should last at least 2-3 minutes. Each television and radio channel, according to the bill, must allocate about 9 minutes of airtime for social advertising every day, including in prime time. The speaker of the Federation Council is confident that the State Duma deputies will approve his proposal without any delay.

It is important to note that back in February 2009, Channel One began an on-air campaign about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. Take Care of Yourself video series explains the harm that alcohol causes to the human body. The videos are aired several times throughout the day. Each video is dedicated to a separate organ of the human body that is exposed to alcohol. For example, the video "Intestines" provides the following information: “When alcohol enters the intestines, it irritates and destroys the protective layer of the mucous membrane. The microflora is destroyed, blood circulation is disturbed. Non-healing erosion appears in places exposed to the aggressive effects of alcohol. They degenerate into ulcers, and later - into malignant tumors. "

In general, the issue of the need to conduct an anti-alcohol campaign is quite vigorously discussed in the public.

For example, the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM) found out how broadly support a new anti-alcohol campaign would enjoy if a decision was made to conduct it, what measures Russians would support most of all, and how many fellow citizens have heard about Dmitry Medvedev's initiative about adoption of a state program to combat alcoholism and other bad habits.

Two-thirds of Russians (66%) are aware of Dmitry Medvedev's initiative to adopt a state program to combat alcoholism and other bad habits. The older the respondents, the more they know about such an initiative of the president (53% - among 18-24-year-olds, 65% - 25-34-year-olds, 67% - 35-44-year-olds, 70% - 45-59-year-olds, 71% - among those who are 60 and older).

The majority of Russians (65%) would support a new anti-alcohol campaign. Only a quarter of the surveyed Russians (25%) would not support such measures of the Russian authorities. Women are more inclined to support the anti-alcohol campaign in our country. 71% of Russian women support such actions; among men, just over half (57%) are supporters of the fight against alcoholism. A third of Russians (32%) and almost every fifth Russian woman (18%) are against the anti-alcohol campaign in their state.

The more well-off the respondents, the more often they speak out in support of a new anti-alcohol campaign (supporters make up: 70% in the group with a high self-esteem of their own financial situation and 62% among low-income Russians).

In the rating of the most popular measures to combat alcoholism, the leaders are: a ban on the sale of alcohol to young people under 21 (63%), a ban on advertising of any type of alcohol, incl. and low-alcohol drinks (57%), promotion of a healthy, sober lifestyle (47%). The "middle peasants" are: the introduction of criminal liability for drinking alcohol and being drunk in public places (34%), limiting the sale of alcohol in the morning (31%), compulsory treatment for alcoholism (29%), the development of modern medical methods of treating alcoholism, including non-traditional ones (25%), an increase in prices for alcoholic products (19%). At the bottom of the list: the organization of the Societies of Sobriety, Alcoholics Anonymous (15%) and the introduction of a ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages (keeping "Prohibition") (10%).

Only 3% of the respondents believe that nothing should be done at all, "the state should not interfere in this." Women and less well-to-do Russians are more strict about the problem of alcoholism: they support a larger number (and to a greater extent) proposals to combat this disease. Only two methods are supported by low-income Russians less often than their better-off fellow citizens - an increase in prices for alcoholic beverages and the promotion of a healthy, sober lifestyle.

It would seem that the regulation of such a problematic sphere as alcohol is in dire need of reform, in the conduct of active measures, but nevertheless there are skeptics who believe that the new anti-alcohol campaign of the Russian government has a lot of miscalculations and may turn into negative economic consequences. Experts point out that the developers' mistakes will negatively affect tax revenues to the consolidated budget, hit several sectors of the economy, and also worsen the socio-demographic situation of the country. The anti-alcohol campaign launched in Russia will not lead at all to the results that the president and the government expect from it. For example, having relied on increasing beer excise taxes in the fight against alcohol, the authorities risk getting three problems: a decrease in tax revenues to the budget, a decrease in production and labor collectives in the brewing and agricultural industries, and, finally, a massive transition of Russians to cheap vodka. which will lead to an increase in the death rate of the population.

This is such a controversial area: on the one hand, the state must strictly control the production and sale of alcoholic beverages, on the other hand, such restrictions will contribute to an even greater distribution of illegal (underground, and often low-quality) products, which in turn will damage the country's economy, and the health of the nation.

In May 1985, a new massive anti-alcohol campaign begins in the Soviet Union. To eradicate drunkenness, all means were used: from promoting a healthy lifestyle to cutting down vineyards. However, the results were very contradictory, the population was dissatisfied, and soon the campaign had to be curtailed. The author of the site, Nikolai Bolshakov, recalls how this campaign took place.

New campaign

Anti-alcohol campaigns in the Soviet Union were carried out more than once. 1918, 1929, 1958, 1972 - all these years were marked by a mass struggle against drunkenness. But the most famous is the campaign initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev. After coming to power, the Secretary General understood that alcohol consumption had become massive. On average, ten liters of alcohol was drunk per capita per year, and this had to be somehow dealt with. This was well understood not only by the newly-made head of the USSR, but also by Yegor Ligachev, together with Mikhail Solomentsev, who became the ideological inspirers of this campaign. Gorbachev shared his future plans with citizens when he visited Leningrad during his first trip as secretary general in May 1985. And on May 7, the Council of Ministers officially issued Resolution No. 410 "On measures to overcome drunkenness and alcoholism and the eradication of home brewing". It is with this decree that the anti-alcohol campaign in the USSR begins.

Mikhail Gorbachev, together with Yegor Ligachev, one of the inspirers of the campaign

Offensive on all fronts

The campaign immediately got its own slogan: "Sobriety is the norm of life." And the loudest mouthpiece of this large-scale movement was the newspaper Pravda. "It should be considered completely unacceptable to drink alcohol at work, in public places, to regard such cases as immoral, antisocial behavior, using the full force of the law and public opinion against drunkards," the editorials of this publication wrote.

Now, feast scenes were neatly cut from movies and alcohol-free weddings were welcomed. Alcohol itself could only be obtained at a strictly specific time, and this is from two to seven o'clock in the afternoon, and strictly in special stores. Penalties for drunkenness were increased, and drinking was prohibited during production. And societies of sobriety and a healthy lifestyle were organized throughout the country. In general, it was planned to gradually reduce the production of vodka by ten percent every year, and to stop producing wine products altogether by 1989. Therefore, the anti-alcohol war has caused great damage to the wine industry.

The lines to shops for liquor beat all records

Anti-alcohol campaign hits the wine industry hard

In Moldova and in Abrau-Dyurso, where wine is a traditional product of production, and in many other places, vineyards were massively cut down. According to official data, 80,000 hectares of vineyards were destroyed in the Moldavian SSR alone.

Inconsistent results

The most active phase of the campaign was from 1985 to 1987. It will be announced that more than a million deaths have been prevented by such actions. In fact, the production of alcoholic beverages was cut in half, and the production of wine products was cut by two-thirds. But all these actions to combat drunkenness had a negative impact on the population. First of all, speculation sharply increased, the demand for sugar and other goods, among which was toothpaste, cologne, and other alcohol-containing products, increased dramatically. Every tenth worker from the sphere of trade was accused of speculation, and more than 60 thousand people were brought to justice for violation of the sale of alcohol.

Fights and long queues were common near the shops. Many people have switched to moonshine. There are also many drug addicts and substance abusers, both among adults and among young people. According to the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, the use of moonshine and other intoxicating substances led to the poisoning of more than forty thousand people, of which eleven thousand died. The number of drug addicts doubled from 1985 to 1987.

During one of the anti-alcohol rallies

It was announced that the campaign saved the lives of a million people

The campaign hit not only the population, but also the Soviet budget, which was already suffering from a deficit at that time. In total, the state treasury lost 19 billion rubles from the trade sector. And due to losses in wine production, another 6.8 billion were missing. National discontent eventually forced Mikhail Gorbachev to slow down the anti-alcohol campaign. The state monopoly on the trade in alcoholic beverages was soon abolished, and the fight against drunkenness gradually went nowhere. Ivan Laptev, chairman of the All-Union Society for the Struggle for a Sober Lifestyle, then writes: "They did not drink less in Russia, the culture of drinking did not increase, the green serpent, lying in basements and cellars, remained the best friend of Soviet people."

Mikhail Gorbachev was named "Lemonade Joe" because of the fight against drunkenness

Mikhail Gorbachev himself will be popularly called “mineral secretary” and “lemonade Joe”. Nevertheless, the campaign was highly acclaimed by the international community. “It has delayed the deaths of millions of people at risk of losing their lives as a result of accidents, alcohol poisoning or suicide,” - said in one of the UN reports.

The anti-alcohol campaign of the period 1985-1987, which took place at the very beginning of Perestroika, when, despite the previous stages of the struggle, alcohol consumption in the USSR was growing steadily. It began two months after Mikhail Gorbachev came to power and therefore was called "Gorbachev's".
By the late 1970s, the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the USSR reached a record level in the country's history. Alcohol consumption, which did not exceed 5 liters per person per year, neither in the Russian Empire nor in the era of Stalin, reached the mark of 10.5 liters of registered alcohol by 1984, and taking into account the underground distilling, it could exceed 14 liters. It was estimated that this level of consumption was equivalent to about 90-110 bottles of vodka per year for every adult male, excluding a small number of teetotalers (vodka itself was about of this volume. The rest of the alcohol was consumed in the form of moonshine, wine and beer).

The initiators of the campaign were members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee M. S. Solomentsev and E. K. Ligachev, who, following Yu. V. Andropov, believed that one of the reasons for the stagnation of the Soviet economy was the general decline in the moral to the labor of which mass alcoholism was guilty.

On May 7, 1985, the Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU ("On measures to overcome drunkenness and alcoholism") and the Resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers No. 410 ("On measures to overcome drunkenness and alcoholism, the eradication of moonshine brewing") were adopted, which prescribed all party, administrative and law enforcement agencies decisively and everywhere to strengthen the fight against drunkenness and alcoholism, with a significant reduction in the production of alcoholic beverages, the number of points of sale and the time of sale.

On May 16, 1985, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was issued "On strengthening the fight against drunkenness and alcoholism, the eradication of home brewing", which reinforced this fight with administrative and criminal penalties. The corresponding decrees were adopted simultaneously in all union republics.

The execution was unprecedented in scale. For the first time, the state decided to reduce income from alcohol, which was a significant item of the state budget (about 30%), and began to sharply reduce its production. After the start of the fight against drunkenness in the country, a large number of shops selling alcoholic beverages were closed. Often this was the end of the complex of anti-alcohol measures in a number of regions. So, the first secretary of the Moscow City Committee of the CPSU, Viktor Grishin, closed many alcohol shops and reported to the Central Committee that the work on sobering up in Moscow was completed. The prices for vodka were raised several times: the popular vodka, popularly nicknamed "Andropovka", which cost 4 rubles before the start of the campaign. 70 k., Disappeared from the shelves, and since August 1986 the cheapest vodka cost 9 rubles. 10 r.

Shops that sold alcohol could only do this from 14:00 to 19:00. In this regard, the folk spread:

“At six in the morning the rooster sings, at eight - Pugacheva. The store is closed until two, Gorbachev has the key. "
"For a week, until the second" we will bury Gorbachev. If we dig up Brezhnev, we will continue to drink. "
“Thanks to the dear party and Gorbachev personally! My sober husband came home and fell in love perfectly! "

Tough measures were taken against drinking alcohol in parks and public gardens, as well as on long-distance trains. Those caught drunk were in serious trouble at work. For consuming alcohol in the workplace, they were fired from work and expelled from the party. Banquets related to the defense of dissertations were banned, and alcohol-free weddings were promoted. The so-called "zones of sobriety" appeared, in which alcohol was not sold.

In the fulfillment of this task, trade unions, the entire education and health care system, all public organizations and even creative unions (unions of writers, composers, etc.) were also involved without fail.

The campaign was accompanied by intense sobriety propaganda. Articles by FG \u200b\u200bUglov, Academician of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, about the harm and inadmissibility of consuming alcohol under any circumstances, and about the fact that drunkenness is not characteristic of the Russian people, began to spread everywhere. The censors removed and paraphrased the texts of literary works and songs, cut out alcoholic scenes from theatrical performances and films, the “non-alcoholic” action movie “Lemonade Joe” was shown on the screen (as a result of the nickname “Lemonade Joe” and the “mineral secretary” they firmly entrenched themselves with Mikhail Gorbachev)

Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign is often called “dry law”. This term implies a ban (full or partial) of the sale of substances containing ethanol in large quantities. Exceptions are substances for medical, industrial and other similar purposes. Also, drugs with a low alcohol content, such as cough syrups, are not banned.

The 1985 campaign was not the first in the USSR, but it was remembered by everyone due to its duration. How effective were the government's actions, you can find out from the article.

Anti-alcohol campaigns in the USSR

In the history of the USSR, "dry law" was established several times. They took it in different years:

• 1918-1923;
• 1929;
• 1958;
• 1972;
• 1985-1990.

Why did Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign become a symbol of the stagnation of its era? First of all, it is associated with a tangible widespread consumption, including food. The ban on alcohol further worsened the psychological state of people. However, such a decision on the part of the government was required by the circumstances that had developed by that time.

Background of the 1985 campaign

Before the start of the campaign, studies were carried out that revealed catastrophic numbers for the country. By 1984, alcohol consumption exceeded 10 liters per person, while even in pre-revolutionary Russia this figure did not exceed 5 liters. Translated into containers, 90-100 bottles of alcohol were obtained for each adult man per year. Alcohol meant vodka, beer, wine, moonshine.

The initiators of the introduction of the "dry law" were M. S. Solomentsev, E.K. Ligachev. They, as they were convinced, that the reason for the stagnation of the economy is massive alcoholism. It was in him that the members of the Politburo saw the general decline of moral and as well as the negligent attitude of people to work.

Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign was huge. For the sake of fighting drunkenness, the state decided to reduce its sales revenues

What the 1985 law stipulated

The law came into force on 05/17/1985. Among the people, Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign, as mentioned earlier, was called "dry law".

This project included the following implementation program:

1. The ban on the sale of vodka in all catering establishments (with the exception of restaurants), which were located at train stations, dock stations, airports. It also stipulated the inadmissibility of selling vodka near industrial enterprises, all types of educational institutions, hospitals, places of public recreation.
2. Liquor products were to be sold only in specialized stores or departments. At the same time, their number was determined by officials themselves, in the field.
3. Prohibition of selling alcohol to persons under 21 years of age.
4. Permitted implementation was time-limited. Alcohol could be bought from 2 pm to 7 pm.
5. It was supposed to annually reduce the production of alcoholic beverages. By 1988 it was planned to completely stop wine production.
6. In the theater, cinema, on television, on radio, it was forbidden to promote drinking.
7. Leading workers and party members were forbidden to abuse alcohol under the threat of expulsion from the CPSU.

Statistical data

Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign had its positive and negative sides. The year of its beginning is 1985, and by 1988 the following was assembled

Campaign opponents and their reasons

Representatives of one of the research centers provide their arguments that call into question positive thoughts about the anti-alcohol company. An artificial shortage was created under Gorbachev. The people completely made up for it with home-made alcohol. Therefore, these statistics did not reflect real indicators.

As for the increase in the birth rate, this is more associated with a general emotional upsurge against the background of perestroika, which promised the population for the better.

Drug addiction and substance abuse became a serious problem in these years. Some people have switched from scarce alcohol to more dangerous drugs. Mortality from cardiovascular disease has indeed decreased, but deaths from drug use have increased.

Among the opponents there are many who believe that the actions of the "dry law" did not save the country from drunkenness, but weaned it off from drinking good, high-quality drinks.

Prohibition supporters

The reader already knows what year Gorbachev conducted the anti-alcohol campaign. It was since the introduction of "Prohibition" that many doctors began to note a decrease in the number of injuries and fractures, which most often happened to people who were drunk.

Even before the adoption of the law, societies were created to combat drunkenness. The people who organized them really propagated their ideas. They did it voluntarily, realizing the danger of total drunkenness for the country. The ambiguous position among the members of the Politburo slowed down the campaign, actions were carried out that angered people, caused negative to the campaign as a whole.

The myth of cutting down vineyards

After a while, Mikhail Gorbachev admitted mistakes. With regard to the anti-alcohol campaign and the main aspects of its implementation, not everything went smoothly, but many moments remained only speculations of the people. The real "duck" was the information about the total cutting of vineyards. People close to these questions claim that it was really produced, but they got rid of only old and wild vines.

In many ways, the reputation of the anti-alcohol campaign was also damaged by officials who took unpopular measures on the ground. For example, in many cities, a large number of alcoholic beverage outlets were closed at once. In addition to everything, vodka coupons were invented and a permit was introduced to sell only one bottle to one person. Gorbachev did not sign any documents providing for such measures.

Collapse a campaign

Mass discontent with the "dry law" began two years after its introduction. Although the abolition of all decrees took place only in 1990, alcohol sales began to increase already in 1987, and the active promotion of a sober lifestyle stopped.

In modern Russia, Gorbachev admitted mistakes in the anti-alcohol campaign. He once said that because of the mistakes made, a good deed ended ingloriously.

Such government actions should have been carried out in stages. For their successful completion, a new generation had to grow up with ideas. Too quick and aggressive actions of the authorities both from above and on the ground led to a negative attitude towards the campaign as a whole, caused a feeling of disgust among the people and, as a result, did not lead to positive results.