The Supreme Council of Ukraine accepted the law forbidding the use of alcoholic and low alcohol drinks in public places. The law also establishes a number of prohibitions and restrictions concerning their sale.
As it states a correspondent of UNIAN, for acceptance of the Law "About modification of the Law of Ukraine "About state regulation of manufacture and sale of ethyl alcohol, cognac and fruit, alcoholic drinks and tobacco products" (concerning restriction of consumption and sale of low alcohol drinks)" voted 359 People's Deputies out of 437, registered in a session hall.
By the law is presupposed that low alcohol drinks are alcoholic drinks with the maintenance of ethyl alcohol from 1,2 to 8,5 percent of volume units and extract substances no more than 14,0 g on 100 cubic centimeters, made of an aqueous-alcoholic mix with use of components, half-finished products and the preservatives, saturated or nonsaturated with carbon dioxide.
The law forbids the use of beer (except nonalcoholic), alcoholic and low alcohol drinks in public health services establishments; in educational institutions; in public transport (including transport of international destination), at transport stops, in underground transitions; in culture establishments; in the closed sports constructions (except beer in plastic containers); in lifts and payphones; on children's playgrounds; on athletic fields, in premises of public authorities and local governments, other official bodies. Smoking of tobacco products is forbidden in lifts and payphones; in public health services establishments; in educational institutions; on children's playgrounds; on athletic fields; at entrances of apartment houses; in underground transitions; in public transport (including transport of international destination).
According to the law, beer sale (except nonalcoholic), alcoholic, low alcohol drinks and tobacco products is forbidden to persons under 18.
For the period of carrying out of mass actions rural and city councils within corresponding administrative territory can forbid or limit beer sale (except beer in plastic containers), alcoholic, low alcohol drinks and smoking of tobacco products.
Drunkenness in public places becomes less?
The chairman of the subcommittee concerning advertising of the Committee of the Supreme Council on freedom of speech and information Elena Kondratyuk is sure that, thanks to the accepted law, drunkenness in public places becomes less.
According to E.Kondratyuk, acceptance of the new law on state regulation of manufacture and alcohol sale is radical and decisive step to construction of a modern, cultural European society. It is extremely important that the law establishes a number of prohibitions and restrictions not only concerning the use, but also sale of low alcohol drinks, the deputy emphasized.
"The main task which we put before ourselves, working over the law, is to overcome the extremely negative, not civilized displays of behavior, absence of culture of consumption of alcohol at people”, she noticed. Unfortunately, stated E.Kondratyuk, “For many our citizens, especially youth, it is normal to drink beer in the street, without hiding, even being proud of it”. It leads to the development of children's alcoholism; growth of street criminality, the environment for citizens in public places is not comfortable. “The phenomenon got awful scales, and demanded powerful counteraction”, the deputy emphasized.
In her opinion, the law has two strong points. The first one is the accurate mechanism of its realization. Also it is a guarantee that it will work, and drunkenness in public places becomes less.
The second strong point consists in the fact that “we managed to overcome impregnated with spirit of notorious antialcoholic campaign of the middle eightieth populist initiatives which provided full prohibition of advertising of certain kinds of the goods including low alcohol drinks”.
Administrative responsibility
At the same time she noticed that the establishment of prohibitions which are introduced by the law would not have appropriate positive effect without modification of the operating Code of Ukraine about administrative offences. Therefore the deputy insisted on introducing of corresponding amendments into the administrative code with which the administrative liability of infringement of rules of beer, alcoholic, low alcoholic drinks trade, and also their drinking in the public places forbidden by the law etc.
The given amendments which were supported by the profile committee and the Parliament, and which became a part of the new law, are capable, in opinion of E.Kondratyuk, to provide real, instead of declarative restriction of consumption and sale of low alcoholic drinks.
By UNIAN
