Alcohol mortality is one of the leading problems faced by the government during the Soviet era. Thousands of human lives and super profits from the sale of strong drinking products are on the scales. It was decided to fight the general drunkenness by cardinal methods.
According to the disclosed data of the State Statistics Committee, mortality due to alcohol, from the 1960s to the 1980s, increased to 47% of the total number of deaths due to various reasons in the same period. Therefore, the then government, concerned about such a development of the plot, was simply forced to hide such sad data, without taking any decisive measures. By the mid-1980s, addiction acquired a genocidal scale. Propaganda did not work, arbitration courts and party meetings denouncing drunkenness did not produce results, the need for radical measures was obvious. With the coming to power of M. Gorbachev, the so-called "dry law" was developed.
What was the "dry law"
In May 1985, a special decree was issued, which contained decisive measures to overcome domestic drunkenness, as well as to eradicate alcoholism and moonshine. A large number of citizens were in favor of this law. After the data that 87% of citizens were supporters of the new legislation was hit, Gorbachev was finally convinced of the correctness of the course adopted. The country began to create special societies that advocated a "sober" way of life.
After the adoption of such a law in Russia, shops selling alcoholic beverages were immediately closed, the prices for vodka were raised several times. But those who, as before, sold alcohol, could carry out this type of activity only from 14 to 19 in the evening. New weddings without alcohol began to be promoted among the people, and in public places anyone who drank alcohol could get huge troubles in the form of fines and public censure.
Consequences of the introduction of "dry law" in society
It should be noted that the introduction of "dry law" can be viewed in two ways. On the one hand, this law has saved the lives of many men and women, and alcohol-induced crime has been reduced by as much as 70%. The population began to give preference to ordinary milk than strong vodka. Labor productivity grew inexorably, absenteeism decreased, the death rate of the population from alcohol poisoning practically disappeared, and industrial injuries and disasters decreased.
But, along with the positive aspects of the adoption of the "dry law", there are also negative ones. So, in stores for alcoholic drinks now there were huge queues, and at weddings they drank cognac from teapots. Those people who simply did not want to stand in lines and buy alcohol in stores began to consume a variety of alcoholic beverages purchased from under the counter. Poisonous counterfeits are widespread.
However, the most difficult consequence of "Prohibition" was, of course, the lost vineyards. The Land of the Soviets went too far, exterminating the unique varieties of berries that have grown for centuries on sunny slopes. It has not been possible to restore the vineyards in full until now.
