Putin Calls for Vodka Monopoly
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Saturday, July 2, 2005
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Central planning comes to the Russian alcohol industry:
Putin Plans Russia Vodka Monopoly (BBC)
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has called for a return to a state monopoly on vodka production, to cut the many thousands of alcohol-related deaths.
Since the Soviet Union’s collapse, hundreds of little-known brands of vodka – Russia’s favourite tipple – appeared to meet a $9bn a year market.
But analysts believe a quarter of that total is illegal low-quality vodka.
Mr Putin said poor quality alcohol was contributing to the deaths of some 40,000 Russians each year.
On the bright side, at least he didn’t advocate prohibition.
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About Robert Tagorda
More likely it’s all about the taxes collected on the alcohol.
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Best argument against prohibition there is: dead drunks don’t pay taxes.
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Same argument goes for cigarettes.
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