Business Fights Back Against Kremlin War on Vice

Health experts have welcomed government moves to limit advertising and make both alcohol and tobacco more expensive, while producers, distributors and vendors are already adapting to the new legal environment. But the moves have sparked acrimony about who benefits from the laws, with many smaller retailers, especially kiosk owners, accusing the government of using public health as an excuse for enriching supermarkets.

Especially contentious are the advertising restrictions.

“Obviously, this will be followed by job loses. The brewing industry spends millions of rubles on ads on the Internet, and this prohibition will have extremely negative consequences for the advertising industry in Russia”