The state was offered to make vodka for 100 rubles: possible consequences are named

Director of the Center for Research of Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets (CIFRRA), Vadim Drobiz, believes that in order to successfully combat illegal products, the state should not constantly increase the price of vodka, but, on the contrary, establish the production of legal vodka at 100 rubles per bottle. Then, they say, there will be no point in scammers driving the “palenka”. Low-income citizens will start buying “social” vodka in the store, and the country will get rid of alcohol poisoning. However, opponents of this idea have serious counterarguments. “MK” got acquainted with the arguments of both sides.

The alcohol issue is traditionally considered one of the most pressing for Russia. Well, counterfeit alcohol is generally a hot topic. Illegal alcoholic drinks, according to experts, occupy 20-25% of the entire domestic alcohol market. Every day, clandestine mini-factories are found in the country, where “left-handed swill” is produced in unsanitary conditions. And many Russians buy it because they are not able to afford the “official” bottle in the store for 300 rubles.

Vadim Drobiz is confident that we need to fight counterfeiting differently. Selling vodka to the poor is three times cheaper than today’s store price – 100 rubles. And then, the expert is sure, illegal trafficking will simply cease to exist.

The first and main question for the author of this idea is: will our country get drunk if social vodka appears in stores for 100 rubles?

“Alcohol consumption in our country and in Europe is the same,” he answers. – But there a bottle of wine costs 1-1.5 euros – with unemployment benefits 600-700 euros. The last European homeless person will not go to a dubious glass shop where alcohol is cheaper. They have it almost free anyway. If Europe doesn’t drink itself to death, why should we all turn into alcoholics? It’s just that instead of a surrogate, low-income Russians will start drinking official alcohol that is safe for health, but accessible to them.

– Is the state able to produce such vodka for 100 rubles?

– Today, economically, no. Since the state currently takes about 150 rubles into the budget from each bottle in the form of taxes. But let it decide how to reduce the price per bottle to 100 rubles. Excise-free alcohol can be produced. Russia has a huge alcohol industry, more than 50% of alcohol belongs to state-owned companies. Let the bottles with social vodka be the most primitive, with a “visor”, like in Soviet times. No one will buy them except the poor.

But it will be normal alcohol and affordable for literally everyone. There is no division into different segments of the population here. After all, we have a calm attitude towards those who drive a Mercedes and those who have a Zhiguli.

– Will the budget lose money if the state follows the path of producing cheap booze?

– Not a penny. Today, illegal turnover amounts to 250-300 million liters per year. If we compensate for this volume with official goods at the same price as counterfeit goods, then who will buy burnt vodka?

My formula for the alcohol market is simple. In Europe, the average unemployment benefit can buy 200 bottles of vodka, but our minimum wage (at today’s price of a bottle is 300 rubles) only 65. It is necessary that the minimum wage can buy at least 100-130 bottles of vodka.

It has already been calculated that this amount of booze can be purchased if the minimum wage in Russia is 35-40 thousand rubles. President Putin set a task for the government to bring the “minimum wage” to 35 thousand rubles by 2030. Although the president is unlikely to translate this amount into the number of bottles. But you don’t have to wait another 6 years, but simply release social vodka. In addition, it is still unknown how much the rest of the alcohol will cost then.

The opinion of the author of the idea is clear. But if it is implemented, how will it affect the consumer market? We addressed this question to Pyotr Shelishch, Chairman of the Russian Consumer Union

“In terms of alcohol market analytics, I trust Vadim Drobiz,” he said. – But this proposal of his upset me. He is right in the sense that through the release of social vodka we will be able to successfully fight illegal alcohol trafficking. However, it is necessary to provide for other consequences of such a step. The state will lose a lot more if it goes this route. Thousands, tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands of people will turn from normal members of society into alcoholics. The losses will be huge. I think that this path is completely unacceptable for us.

– Is there any other way?

– Yes, it was originally contained in the strategy for anti-alcohol policy. The transition from the so-called northern consumption to the southern one. That is, from strong alcoholic drinks to light ones – wine and beer. Unfortunately, we gradually forgot about this strategy.

It’s easy to calculate that one percent of alcohol in beer in a store costs twice as much as in vodka. And if you take light wine, then 3-4 times. These drinks are very expensive here. It turns out that in order to get high, it is more profitable for a person to buy vodka.

We need to understand what task the government sets for itself. If you remove illegal immigrants from the alcohol market, then with a bottle for 100 rubles you can succeed in this. However, later this “victory” may turn out to be Pyrrhic – and return to us like a social boomerang…