Combating crime is the most important goal of sobriety.
In Kazakhstan, the sale of alcohol in grocery and online stores may be completely banned. Instead, following the example of Northern Europe, the country has proposed creating a network of specialized alcohol stores that will be granted permission to sell alcoholic beverages. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan is the initiator of this reform, appealing to statistics on crimes committed by intoxicated individuals.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Yerzhan Sadenov, stated in the Parliament of Kazakhstan that "one of the key factors affecting crime rates in the country is alcohol abuse." According to him, up to 10,000 crimes are committed annually in Kazakhstan while intoxicated. The measures taken by the police are "merely addressing the consequences."
He noted that "in pursuit of profit, unscrupulous entrepreneurs violate age and time restrictions on the sale of alcohol."
"They trade around the clock under the guise of cafes and bars. Online delivery is widely used. Meanwhile, the measure of revoking licenses is ineffective. It can be obtained the next day under different names," Sadenov informed the deputies.
Therefore, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan presented proposals at the meeting of the interdepartmental commission under the government of Kazakhstan to limit the trade of alcohol in the country to specialized stores (alcohol markets), to limit licenses for alcohol sales, and to ban online sales.
"In addition, there is an urgent need to limit the hours of alcohol sales in entertainment establishments. More than 1,400 crimes, including 3 murders, have already been committed in these venues while intoxicated," Sadenov stated.
He also reported that "currently, some government agencies do not support these approaches."
"I believe that we must primarily consider the interests of preserving the lives and health of our citizens," the head of the police of Kazakhstan stated.
Currently, ordinary grocery stores in Kazakhstan can sell alcohol if they obtain a license, with only the time of sale being restricted, and alcohol cannot be sold in close proximity to children's, educational, sports, and cultural institutions.
The minister's proposals to revise alcohol trade regulations are essentially similar to the regime applied in the Vologda region of Russia, whose experience is assessed very ambiguously. Kazakh experts also reacted skeptically to the Ministry of Internal Affairs' initiative.
