Contents
A rational and balanced alcohol policy is one of the indicators of a civilized society. The experience of many countries has shown that a complete ban on alcohol does not give the desired result and leads to negative consequences that outweigh all the advantages of the “dry law”. In the history of the Soviet state, the most radical attempt to combat drunkenness was the anti-alcohol campaign of MS Gorbachev, recognized as one of the biggest mistakes of the country’s leadership.
The fight against alcoholism after the revolution
At the beginning of the 16th century, in terms of alcohol statistics, Russia was a relatively prosperous country and ranked XNUMXth in the world in terms of alcohol consumption. However, the qualitative indicator did not inspire optimism. From the same France, where they drank much more, Russia was distinguished by a high mortality rate due to the large number of immoderate drinkers. Shortly before the First World War, when the political situation began to heat up, the tsarist government seriously thought about banning alcohol.
The reason for such a radical decision was serious. In 1905, before the Russo-Japanese War, urgent mobilization was practically disrupted due to the mass drinking of reservists, and it was not possible to assemble an army on time.
Fearing a repetition of the situation, in July 1914, Nicholas II ordered to reduce the sale of alcohol to a minimum. At first, the population was in euphoria from the victories and even supported the “dry law”, but the subsequent defeats led to the fact that the people fell into drunkenness, and for lack of vodka, people drank denatured alcohol, polish and solvents.
The Bolsheviks, after coming to power, left the ban in place, not wanting to aggravate an already difficult crime situation. However, the revolutionary government was in dire need of money, and income from the alcohol trade could improve the situation. In addition, by the beginning of the 1920s, the country, in the words of Nikolai Bukharin, simply “drowned in moonshine.” Therefore, it was decided to gradually introduce the free sale of alcohol.
In 1921, wine returned to store shelves, and four years later, trade in forty-degree vodka was allowed.
History of anti-alcohol campaigns in the USSR
The first large-scale anti-drinking campaign began in 1929. The party declared the eradication of alcoholism its “combat mission”. The nasty drinking establishments were closed, canteens appeared instead. Publishing houses produced a large amount of educational literature, where the harm of drunkenness was explained to the population. The first public organizations promoting sobriety appeared. The sale of vodka began to decline, and the massive closure of pubs led to a reduction in the consumption of the foamy drink. The result was a shutdown of large breweries in Leningrad and Moscow.
When the government calculated the lost income from the alcohol trade, the campaign had to be curtailed.
The next round of the fight against alcoholism came in the late 1950s. By a resolution of the party and government, alcohol was banned from being sold in all public catering establishments. The exception was restaurants, which at that time were not visited very often. Drunkards were summoned to meetings of comrades’ courts and publicly reprimanded. The punishment for moonshine became tougher, and in cinema and literature the image of an alcoholic acquired a negative connotation.
By the end of the 1960s, the wealth of the population increased, which led to an increase in alcohol consumption. This period includes the appearance of medical and labor dispensaries (LTP), where alcoholics were sent for compulsory treatment.
In 1972, another attempt was made to fight for sobriety – the number of liquor stores was reduced and the production of vodka above 40% was stopped. It was forbidden to sell alcohol near enterprises, educational and medical institutions.
1985 anti-alcohol campaign
Despite constant preventive work, by the beginning of perestroika, the consumption of alcoholic beverages in Russia had reached record levels. The economy stagnated, and one of the reasons for the low productivity of labor, party leaders considered the general drunkenness of the population.
Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU Yegor Ligachev is considered the main organizer of the campaign against alcoholism, although he himself attributes the initiative to Yuri Andropov. In 1983, a special commission of the Politburo for the fight against drunkenness was created, headed by a major party leader, Mikhail Solomentsev.
Mikhail Gorbachev did not object to radical measures. The death rate in the country over the past twenty years has increased by 4 times, the birth rate has fallen, and enterprises have suffered from massive violations of discipline. Restrictions on the sale of alcohol fit well with the concept of change, which was then actively promoted in society.
In 1985, the Decree “On measures to overcome drunkenness and alcoholism” was published, which prescribed:
- toughen administrative and criminal liability for home brewing;
- double the price of vodka;
- reduce the number of points of sale of alcohol;
- prohibit drinking alcohol in public places and on long-distance trains;
- intensify campaigning for a healthy lifestyle.
It is noteworthy that in the resolution and in subsequent documents there was not a word about cutting down vineyards. Several factors led to a sharp reduction in landings. At the next congress of the CPSU, the priority of table grapes was announced. In the future, wine varieties were supposed to be gradually reduced to a minimum, replacing the vines. At the same time, the amount of funds that were allocated to the industry was reduced. However, local officials decided to exceed the plan, which actually led to the destruction of part of the vineyards. Abnormally low temperatures in the winter of 1985 contributed to the decrease in the planting area. A huge amount of grapes in the Crimea simply froze.
Soviet anti-alcohol campaign posters
A separate kind of art and promotion of a healthy lifestyle.
Results of anti-alcohol campaigns in the USSR
An attempt to reorient citizens to a healthy lifestyle failed. There was nowhere to engage in mass physical education due to the small number and poor condition of sports grounds.
Party agitation for non-alcoholic feasts met with misunderstanding and ridicule of the population. The tightening of control measures for drinkers, sudden raids at work, deprivation of bonuses convicted of drunkenness and dismissal led to increased social tension and growing discontent among citizens.
At the same time, the decrease in alcohol consumption had a positive effect on the health of the people: the death rate decreased, the birth rate increased. The average life expectancy of men during this period increased by 2,6 years and reached record levels in the history of the country. There were fewer accidents at work, absenteeism due to drinking bouts. Labor efficiency has indeed increased, which is indirectly confirmed by banking statistics – in two years, deposits in savings banks increased by 45 billion rubles.
On the other hand, the wine industry has been hit hard. A number of rare varieties of grapes have been lost forever, and the quality and quantity of plantings in a number of areas have not yet been restored. State farms suffered enormous losses, the city-forming enterprises were closed, which had a serious impact on the employment of the population of the southern regions. As a result of the anti-alcohol campaign, the budget lost billions of rubles, which did not have the best effect on the state of the economy.
The anti-alcohol campaign in the USSR was recognized as ineffective by 1987. The country’s leadership realized its mistake and began to gradually curtail the struggle for sobriety. The collapse of the Soviet Union was approaching, and the party elite had lost interest in drinking.
Active supporters of the reform today admit that the idea of curing the people of a centuries-old ailment overnight was utopian. The failure of the campaign proved once again that the only way to improve the situation is with the help of a thoughtful and competent anti-alcohol policy, which must be followed for many years.