The State Duma proposed to ban the advertising of non-alcoholic beer

The explanatory note states that advertising of non-alcoholic beer is covert advertising of alcohol and must be subject to the same rules. The authors of the initiative added that the consumption of non-alcoholic beer can promote alcohol dependence and negatively affect health, causing dehydration and leaching of minerals from the body.

The production of non-alcoholic beer is practically no different from regular beer. The only difference is the grade reduction after double filtration. It is usually produced by the same companies that produce regular beer, the bill’s authors noted.

According to Nilov, statistics show an increase in the consumption of low-alcohol drinks in Russia, and advertising of non-alcoholic beer creates the illusion of safety, but in reality encourages people to drink more.

The initiative was also supported by the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, Nikolai Arefiev. In his opinion, the less Russians see this type of advertising, the less temptation there will be to buy alcohol.

The head of the State Duma Committee on Competition, Valery Hartung, agreed with the expediency of the bill when it comes to a brand that produces both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer. However, it emphasizes that the restrictions should not apply to other non-alcoholic beverages, such as juices and soft drinks.

Now in Russia advertising of wine, fortified wine and sparkling wine made from Russian grapes is only allowed on television and radio from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. local time.