The State Duma is discussing restrictions on the sale of non-alcoholic drinks that imitate alcohol to minors

Deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation are already discussing restrictions on the sale of non-alcoholic products that imitate alcohol to minors, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said.

“It’s not just adults who are becoming buyers. According to experts, at the age of 10–13 years, about 6% of children drink non-alcoholic beer and wine, and about 21% at 16–17 years old. That is, every fifth. And this is not harmless lemonade or juice, as it might seem at first glance,” wrote Vyacheslav Volodin.

According to him, doctors note that the use of such products by minors can lead to the formation of:

• addiction to the specific taste of alcoholic drinks, making them more attractive in the future;
• ritual associated with pleasure and imitation of adult behavior;
• unhealthy interest in alcohol, which can develop into a bad habit.

All this has a detrimental effect on the psyche of children and poses a danger to their health, emphasized Vyacheslav Volodin.

On March 1, 2025, a ban on the sale of energy drinks to minors came into force in Russia. Already in June, Vladimir Putin approved fines of up to 500 thousand rubles for violations.

In October, the State Duma rejected a bill to extend the advertising requirements for alcoholic beer to non-alcoholic beer.

The Economic Policy Committee previously noted: “the development of the category of non-alcoholic alternatives meets the objectives of supporting the trend towards a healthy and active lifestyle.” An advertising ban, he said at the time, could trigger a decline in production and job losses.

“[Запрет рекламы безалкогольного пива] puts its producers in unequal competitive conditions in relation to other categories of soft drinks – juices, kvass, lemonades – which seems excessive,” the committee concluded.