RUSSIA, HOME of vodka, is about to become a public health case study after a law banning the advertising of alcohol on television, radio, public transport and billboards came into effect this week.

A ban on alcohol advertisements across the entire print media and on Russian-hosted websites will follow in January.

The Russian law goes further than restrictions in several other European countries, such as France, where there is a complete ban on alcohol advertisements on television and sharp curbs in other media, and Britain, where alcohol advertising on television has to wait until after 9pm.

Here, proposals by Labour Minister of State for Health Róisín Shortall to place restrictions on alcohol advertising (including a 9pm watershed) and drinks company sponsorship of sporting events hit a wall when a Coalition split prevented them from reaching Cabinet before the Dáil’s summer break.

Several Fine Gael Ministers argued that the measures were disproportionately strict, prompting Labour backbenchers to point their fingers at drinks company lobbying.

After Russia’s strike for sobriety, however, the likes of Carlsberg and Diageo now have much bigger markets to worry about.