A bottle instead of a postcard": During the round table, the risks of selling wine through the Russian post were discussed.
Deputies, doctors and social activists discussed the first reading of the bill adopted in the State Duma. Participants warned that increasing the availability of alcohol could undermine the results of policies to reduce consumption. The main issues are the protection of adolescents, infrastructure readiness and the limits of experimentation.
Olga Yaroslavskaya, the commissioner for children's rights in Moscow, expressed concern that delivery through post offices would increase the availability of alcohol, including for minors.
Tatiana Botskaya pointed out the risk of teenagers getting uncontrolled access to alcohol. According to her, the courier will not show the same vigilance as the cashier at the counter, obliged to check the passport.
Dmitri Gusev pointed out questions concerning the storage and transport conditions of wine, and also called for the regions' objections to be taken into account for a second reading.
Ina Yambulatova stated the need to review the procedures for preparing the bill and assess its demographic and economic consequences.
Deputy Marina Kim promised to monitor the implementation of the initiative and the possible connection of markets:.
"I'm sure the experiment will fail."
The candidate of medical sciences, lieutenant Pavel Korolev noted:
More convenient to buy does not mean safer to use: a digital service changes the way of purchasing alcohol, but not its properties. As a doctor, I believe that the legality of the bottle and the protection of human health are two different issues, and both need to be addressed. Age verification should work during the actual delivery, and the service itself should not push for additional purchases. Before starting the experiment, it is necessary to determine the procedure for an independent assessment of the health consequences and the reasons for its termination. Increased sales may be a success for commerce, but for a doctor, the criterion of success is people's health.