Comments on: Tainted Vodka Kills 14 in Ulan Baatar, Mongolia. http://www.bloggernews.net/112901 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:34:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Expat http://www.bloggernews.net/112901#comment-182534 Expat Tue, 08 Jan 2008 04:21:21 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/112901#comment-182534 The banning of all alcohol is a ridiculous knee-jerk reaction to the tragic vodka poisonings last week. Prohibition is only going to force people into drinking the very same toxic arkhi that led to this situation in the first place. And the below-counter sales are booming. Last night we heard that arkhi that normally sells for about 3000 tugrugs is now being sold illegally for around 10,000. I was sold Heineken under the counter (in a comical hush-hush fashion) for 1800 a can the other night! So there is a lot of profiteering going on. Meanwhile, a whole host of other businesses are suffering. And have no doubt that Enkhbayar and his corrupt little cadre are still downing the grog without restriction. The only ones who are probably enjoying the ban are the cops and hospitals, with violence, car accidents and trauma admissions markedly reduced. This is a good thing - but the social engineering of prohibition is not the way to alleviate the problems of alcohol overconsumption in Mongolia. It only serves to create an illegal black market and to bolster the consumption of dodgy vodka. On the positive side: We did hear last night that the ban will be lifted on the 20th, so here's hoping. The banning of all alcohol is a ridiculous knee-jerk reaction to the tragic vodka poisonings last week. Prohibition is only going to force people into drinking the very same toxic arkhi that led to this situation in the first place. And the below-counter sales are booming. Last night we heard that arkhi that normally sells for about 3000 tugrugs is now being sold illegally for around 10,000. I was sold Heineken under the counter (in a comical hush-hush fashion) for 1800 a can the other night! So there is a lot of profiteering going on. Meanwhile, a whole host of other businesses are suffering. And have no doubt that Enkhbayar and his corrupt little cadre are still downing the grog without restriction. The only ones who are probably enjoying the ban are the cops and hospitals, with violence, car accidents and trauma admissions markedly reduced. This is a good thing - but the social engineering of prohibition is not the way to alleviate the problems of alcohol overconsumption in Mongolia. It only serves to create an illegal black market and to bolster the consumption of dodgy vodka.

On the positive side: We did hear last night that the ban will be lifted on the 20th, so here’s hoping.

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