The head of Sober Russia, a member of the Public Chamber, Sultan Khamzaev, proposed to ban the production and sale of children’s champagne before the New Year, RIA Novosti reports on December 25.
He sent his appeal to the Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia Denis Manturov.
Khamzaev drew attention to the fact that on the eve of the New Year in the country there is a sharp increase in the sale of alcoholic beverages, and this entails severe social consequences. According to him, in some regions, sales are increasing 8-12 times.
He emphasized that the New Year’s tradition of a feast can provoke the involvement of minors in the process of drinking alcohol.
“Before the New Year, I propose, firstly, to conduct a campaign to inform the general public in order to stop advertising alcohol in children’s environment by parents and retail chains, it is unacceptable to persuade children to celebrate the New Year with champagne. Second, to take prompt measures to ban the production and sale of baby champagne and other “alcohol-imitating children’s products,” the letter says.
The public figure in his address cites the results of a study by the Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, which showed that the presence of children’s champagne at family holidays “blurs the line between what is permitted and what is not permitted, dulls the child’s feelings of safety.”
On December 21, nutritionists found it permissible to drink a couple of glasses of champagne for the New Year. In their opinion, in such quantities, the drink will be beneficial, since it will give a positive psychological effect.