Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol company is often called the “dry law.” This term implies the prohibition (full or partial) of the sale of substances containing ethanol in large quantities. Exceptions are substances for medical, industrial and other similar purposes. Also, drugs with a low alcohol content, such as cough syrups, are not prohibited.
The 1985 campaign in the USSR was not the first, but it was remembered by everyone because of its duration. How effective were the actions of the government can be found in the article.
Anti-alcohol campaigns in the USSR
In the history of the USSR, the “dry law” was established several times. They took it in different years:
- 1918-1923;
- 1929;
- 1958;
- 1972;
- 1985-1990.
Why did the Gorbachev anti-alcohol company become a symbol of stagnation of its era? First of all, this is due to a noticeable shortage of consumer goods, including food. The ban on alcohol further worsened the psychological state of people. However, a similar decision on the part of the government was demanded by circumstances that had developed by this time.
1985 Campaign Background
Before the start of the campaign, studies were carried out that revealed disastrous figures for the country. By 1984, alcohol consumption exceeded 10 liters per person, while even in pre-revolutionary Russia this figure did not exceed 5 liters. Translated into containers, 90-100 bottles of alcohol were obtained for each adult man per year. Alcohol meant vodka, beer, wine, moonshine.
The initiators of the introduction of the Prohibition were M. S. Solomentsev, E.K. Ligachev. They, like Yu. V. Andropov, were convinced that the cause of economic stagnation was massive alcoholism. It was in it that members of the Politburo saw the general decline in moral and ethical values, as well as the negligent attitude of people to work.
Gorbachev's anti-alcohol company was huge. For the sake of the fight against alcoholism, the state decided to reduce its income from the sale of alcoholic beverages.
What the 1985 law provided
The law entered into force on 05.17.1985. Among the people, the Gorbachev anti-alcohol company, as mentioned earlier, was called the Prohibition.
This project included the following implementation program:
- The ban on the sale of vodka in all public catering (except restaurants), which were located at railway stations, on-station stations, and airports. Also, the inadmissibility of the sale of vodka near industrial enterprises, all types of educational institutions, hospitals, and places of mass recreation for people was stipulated.
- Alcoholic beverages should only be sold in specialized stores or departments. Moreover, officials determined their number on the ground.
- Prohibition of the sale of alcohol to persons under 21 years of age.
- The allowed implementation was limited in time. Alcohol could be bought from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- It was supposed to annually reduce the production of alcoholic beverages. By 1988, it was planned to completely stop the production of wines.
- In the theater, cinema, on television, on broadcasting, it was forbidden to promote drinking.
- Leading workers and party members were forbidden to abuse alcohol under the threat of expulsion from the CPSU.
Statistical data
Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol company had its positive and negative sides. The year of its beginning is 1985, and by 1988 the following statistical information was collected .
Official data |
Positive changes | Negative influence |
Alcohol consumption dropped to 4.8 liters per person per year. | Vodka production decreased by more than 700 million liters, which led to the use of low-quality products by people. The number of poisonings increased, some of them were fatal. |
The birth rate has increased: an average of 400 thousand children a year more than before the Prohibition. | The number of moonshiners has increased. |
Men began to live on average up to 63 years. | Millions of tons of sugar went into the production of moonshine. |
Crime has decreased by 70%, the number of injuries has decreased. Labor productivity increased, the number of absenteeism decreased. | Due to the reduction in beer production, many breweries closed. |
In savings banks was put on 45 billion rubles more. | The share of alcohol smuggling increased, and organized crime began to develop. |
Opponents of the campaign and their arguments
Representatives of one of the research centers cite their arguments, which cast doubt on positive thoughts about the anti-alcohol company. Under Gorbachev, an artificial deficit was created. His people completely made up for home-made alcohol. Therefore, the statistics did not reflect real indicators.
As for the increase in the birth rate, this is more associated with a general emotional upsurge against the background of perestroika, which promised to change the life of the population for the better.
A serious problem during these years was drug addiction and substance abuse. Some people have moved from scarce alcohol to more dangerous drugs. Mortality from cardiovascular disease has actually decreased, but the number of deaths from drug use has increased.
Among the opponents there are many who believe that the actions of the Prohibition did not save the country from drunkenness, but weaned them from the use of good, high-quality drinks.
Proponents of the Prohibition
The reader already knows in which year Gorbachev launched the anti-alcohol company. Since the introduction of the Prohibition, many doctors began to note a decrease in the number of injuries and fractures that most often occurred with people who were drunk.
Even before the adoption of the law, societies against alcoholism were created. The people who organized them really promoted their ideas. They did this voluntarily, realizing the danger of total drunkenness for the country. An ambiguous position among the members of the Politburo hampered the campaign, actions were carried out that embittered people and caused a negative attitude to the campaign as a whole.
The myth of deforestation
After a while, Mikhail Gorbachev admitted mistakes. Regarding the anti-alcohol company and the main aspects of its implementation, not everything went smoothly, but many moments remained only speculations of the people. The real “duck” was information about the total felling of vineyards. People close to these questions assure that it was really produced, but they got rid of old and wild vines only.
Largely spoiled the reputation of the anti-alcohol campaign and officials who took unpopular measures on the ground. For example, many cities immediately closed a large number of liquor stores. In addition to everything, vodka coupons were invented and only one bottle was sold for one person. Gorbachev did not sign documents providing for the adoption of such measures.
Collapse Campaign
Mass dissatisfaction with the "prohibition" began two years after its introduction. Although the abolition of all decrees occurred only in 1990, already in 1987 the sale of alcohol began to increase, and the active propaganda of a sober lifestyle stopped.
In modern Russia, Gorbachev admitted mistakes in the anti-alcohol company. Once he said that because of the blunders made, a good deed ended ingloriously.
Such government actions should be carried out in stages. For their successful completion, a new generation with sober lifestyle ideas had to grow up . Too fast and aggressive actions of the authorities both from above and at the local level led to a negative attitude towards the campaign as a whole, aroused a sense of disgust among the people and, as a result, did not lead to positive results.