“The body is the same, it just differs in age”

On Friday, deputies of Tatarstan approved a bill banning the sale of non-alcoholic tonic drinks and lighters to children. The document provides for fines of up to 150 thousand rubles. for stores if they violate these restrictions. The parliamentarians explained the initiative by saying that “children’s health is more expensive” than business profits, since energy drinks are harmful to health and cause addiction in adolescents. However, there were those who voted against. One of the United Russia members said that “this law will not change anything,” since it is necessary to change the GOSTs for the production of power engineers. Earlier, the Ministry of Economy of Tatarstan declared that the project was “unreasonable”. State Council Speaker Farid Mukhametshin did not rule out that the republic could initiate such a ban at the federal level as well.

Deputies of the State Council of Tatarstan approved in the first reading a bill that establishes restrictions on the sale of certain goods. Changes are made to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic: Art. 2.19 involves a ban on the sale of non-alcoholic tonic drinks to minors, as well as involvement in their consumption, art. 2.20 – a ban on the sale to children of “goods for personal and domestic needs of citizens containing liquefied hydrocarbon gas” (including lighters), and “involving minors in the use by inhaling liquefied hydrocarbon gas”).

For violation of prohibitions, according to the project, fines are provided: for citizens – 3-5 thousand rubles, for officials – 30-50 thousand rubles, for organizations – 100-150 thousand rubles. Protocols for these violations will be able to draw up officials of urban districts and municipal districts.

One of the initiators of the bill is the Prosecutor of Tatarstan Ildus Nafikov. At a meeting of the State Council, he told the deputies about the negative impact of energy drinks on the health of children: “they cause neurological and cardiovascular disorders … and even death.” He also complained about the constant advertising of these drinks. According to him, manufacturers “use flavoring additives, bright packaging design,” which makes drinks attractive to children. He warned of the risk of “addiction and risky behavior leading to drug and alcohol addiction.”

The prosecutor also identified another problem – “sniffing”, when “a state of toxic intoxication is achieved by inhaling liquefied hydrocarbon gases.” The facts of gas consumption by teenagers, according to him, are recorded in the republic every year, “including with a fatal outcome.” Mr. Nafikov asked the deputies to stand up “to protect the health of children.”

The deputies supported the proposed bans. United Russia deputy Ildar Shamilov said that Tatarstan is “behind” because similar laws have already been passed in about 40 subjects. He added that energy drinks should be labeled to ensure that they are not sold to children.

The head of the Communist Party faction Hafiz Mirgalimov proposed to go further and ban the sale of energy drinks in children’s institutions, clinics and public transport. “We have counters in every hospital. Near each school there are points in the houses, they also sell. Some even have beer!” he protested. The communist did not rule out that it is impossible to sell such drinks to adults. “After all, the body is the same, it just differs in age,” said Mr. Mirgalimov. He also felt that the authorities needed tighter control over trade. As an example, he cited the situation with alcoholic beverages, which are “sold from under the floor, from under the counter” where it cannot be done. He even shared his own experience: “I go by taxi, I say:“ Dear, can I buy something? “Khafiz Gayazovich, 16 points I know where it is sold.” What don’t the locals know? They know. That the federal ministry is unaware of this problem?”

LDPR deputy Eduard Sharafiev is sure that power engineers are “imposing on young people”. In this regard, he believes that it is also necessary to “prohibit the promotion of these products.”

Representatives of parties not represented in the republican parliament took part in the discussion of the bill (they were specially invited to speak on this issue). The representative of the Party of Growth, Rail Minegaliyev, supported the initiative, but noted that “forbidden fruit is sweet.” He explained that teenagers drink energy drinks “in pursuit of adrenaline” to “fill the void” of “lack of family communication.” He proposed promoting a culture of healthy eating and adopting a “republican program for the development of a public catering network” in order to oust fast food outlets from the regional market.

At the same time, the chairman of the Tatarstan branch of Yabloko, Ruslan Zinatullin, considered that the bill “should not be adopted”, but it was right to initiate bans at the federal level. “Otherwise, the rights of citizens are infringed upon: in one region you can buy, in another you cannot.” He also supported the proposal for product labeling and noted that those who “want to find something to cloud their brains will always find.” “In my childhood, children from disadvantaged families inhaled gasoline and glue. Why do we limit only hydrocarbon gas then? Tomorrow they will find something else. Someone uses fertilizer for flowers,” he said. Mr. Zinatullin came to the conclusion that “any legislator will not keep up with the change of these usages.”

The head of the State Council Committee on Agro-Industrial and Food Policy, Azat Khamaev (United Russia), believes that it is necessary “to start with the production of energy drinks in accordance with GOST, and not with a ban on sales.” “We need to ask the developers and those people, doctors, orderlies who approved the terms of reference,” he said. According to Mr. Khamaev, the proposed bill “will not change anything.” “How many bullshit were accepted at the level of the federation and at the level of subjects? They won’t work,” he concluded.

It should be noted that earlier the Ministry of Economy of Tatarstan declared that such restrictions were “unreasonable and premature”. In the conclusion of the department, it was said about the “unity of the economic space” of the Russian Federation. The ministry feared that the restriction on the sale of energy drinks to minors would entail additional expenses for entrepreneurs (training of personnel, purchase of specialized equipment, reserving funds for fines), which in turn would lead to losses in the regional budget. But the head of the social policy committee, Svetila Zakharova (United Russia), commenting on this conclusion, said that “children’s health is more expensive.”

“We are talking about very serious things,” summed up the speaker of the State Council of Tatarstan Farid Mukhametshin, who advocated that energy “were not accessible to young students.” He said that parents came to see him and were surprised that in some schools in the canteens, student dormitories they sell not only energy drinks, but also “smoking items and sucking products.” Mr. Mukhametshin did not rule out that the State Council would come out with a similar initiative to the federal level, if this is really “not our authority.”

The bill was supported in the first reading by 79 deputies, but one voted against. The relevant committee of the State Council will adopt amendments to the second reading within a month.

Kirill Antonov