The State Duma of Russia has made amendments to the existing law "On Advertising". According to it, advertising of alcoholic beverages will be banned not only in the media, but also on the Internet. Naturally, such changes will entail certain consequences for both the producers of alcoholic beverages and the media.
The initiators of such amendments to the law were deputies Sergei Zheleznyak and Igor Rudensky. It was they who came up with a proposal to completely ban advertising of alcoholic beverages in all media, including in periodicals, as well as on the Internet.
The amended law "On Advertising" will come into force on 23 July 2012. However, the complete absence of advertising for alcoholic beverages, Russians will be able to notice only from January 1, 2013 - from this day all contracts for the promotion of such products, concluded this year between representatives of the media, the Internet and alcohol companies, are canceled.
According to experts, such changes will bring losses to the media for several billion rubles, because advertising of alcoholic beverages is one of the most widespread and profitable items. Those sites that provided themselves exclusively by placing advertisements of alcoholic products on their pages will especially suffer from the new bill. Many of them will simply cease to exist.
As for the producers of alcoholic beverages, their losses from the new amendments to the law will be much lower. It will be harder for all young and unknown companies that will no longer be able to declare themselves and their products through advertising in the media and on the Internet. However, they can bet on those consumers who, when choosing a product, are more guided by its cost than by the famous brand. And the products of popular companies will be sold in the same volume, since their products have already established themselves in the market.
The new law is especially welcomed by Russian narcologists. In their opinion, the lack of advertising of alcoholic products in the media will reduce alcohol consumption in the country and help lead a sober life for those who deliberately and with great difficulty gave up alcoholic beverages.
