Waiting 21 Years for Tipples?

On July 3, Russian state media outlet Izvestia reported that the State Duma is debating a bill that would raise the drinking age from 18 to 21.

The author of the bill is Senator Maria Sidukhina, who said that the only way to prevent alcohol-related issues, especially in young people, is to "establish a restriction on the sale of all types of alcoholic beverages to persons under 21 years of age." Alcohol consumption, she said in the explanatory note filed alongside the bill, is related to "a negative impact on a person’s physical condition, and also contributes to the destruction of social relationships and hinders the development of the human personality."

Still, some say a new law is unlikely. In Russia, age 18 is legal adulthood, meaning that it is at that time that people gain increased agency. Opponents of the bill argue that the current restriction is in line with this philosophy.

Indeed, worldwide, the drinking age of 18 is widespread. Only a handful of countries have a 21-year age limit. As notable exceptions, Central Eurasian countries and the United States have set their drinking age at 21.

Still, Russia is, of course, renowned for its drinking culture. But perhaps a little less is a good thing?