Lawmakers Pass Bill Returning Ads for Russian Beer and Wine to Airwaves

By The Moscow Times

Dec. 23, 2014

Russian lawmakers passed a bill allowing advertisements of domestically produced beer and wine to be shown on airwaves.

Russia's lower house of parliament on Tuesday passed a bill allowing advertisements of domestically produced beer and wine to be shown on radio stations and television channels, partly repealing a 2012 ban on alcohol advertisements that was meant to help combat endemic alcoholism.

The new legislation will take effect on Jan. 1 if the upper house of parliament and President Vladimir Putin give it the green light. It will not completely undo the blanket ban of 2012, but will ease up on advertisers by allowing ads for Russian wine and alcohol between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., news agency RIA Novosti reported.

The amendments do not legalize ads for foreign-produced alcohol. Alcohol ads will still be banned during live broadcasts and broadcasts of children's athletic competitions, the report said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the legislation had not yet been published on the State Duma's official website.

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