Anti-alcohol campaign scorned in Izvestia’

Press, 8 October 1987, Page 33

Anti-alcohol campaign scorned in Izvestia’

ROBIN LODGE

NZPA-Reuter Moscow Soviet citizens are sobering up to the. idea that teetotalism and the Soviet way of life don’t mix, judging by letters appearing on a Government newspaper against the official anti-alcohol campaign. “Whenever I read about the ’sobriety’ campaign ... I pour myself a glass of home-made spirit and drink to the health of naive authors and to the downfall of anti-alcohol-ism.”

Such were the words of an anonymous contributor to the Soviet Government newspaper, "Izvestia,” recently, just one example of the letters slapping the anti-alcohol campaign launched by the Soviet leader, Mr Gorbachev, two years ago. ■ Responding to the letters, "Izvestia” acknowledged that after initial success the campaign had suffered a distinct decline. . <

Faced with limited availability of alcohol,

many had turned to home-made spirit, eau de Cologne, toothpaste, boot polish, chloroform and even insect repellent, with appalling consequences, “Izvestia” said.

The time had come to be honest, it added. “For the time being, a belief in sobriety is a clear contradition of our lives, customs and traditions. And that is why it needs support by the hour., “The signals of an increase in home-brewing are so abundant that I shall not risk naming specific republics and regions — the list would be too long,” it said.

The article added that one letter had complained of a lack of medicinal supplies at chemists, due to the demands of the illegal home brewers. Another mourned that as a result of sobriety “all the fun had gone.” In a speech on Wednesday, Mr Gorbachev stressed the importance of his anti-alcohol campaign. Addressing a meeting in the northern port of Mur-

mansk, he said it was saving 300,000 lives a year. “What value can you put on that?” he asked.

One problem facing the campaign is the need of shops and local authorities to fulfil sales quotas — a large part of which were formerly made up by sales of alcoholic drinks.

Restrictions on alcohol sales have been significantly relaxed in recent weeks as shops strive to increase their revenue.

In the last few days, vodka was being sold until 9 p.m. in Moscow, in open contravention of the regulations which ban all sales of alcohol after 8 p.m.

Another article in "Izvestia” said that in spite of plans to the contrary sales quotas were set to include revenue from alcohol. “You can’t get away from hard economic reality,” it said, adding that alcohol had brought in 43.5 billion roubles ($100.9 billion) this year.