Moving strong unmarked alcoholic beverages in Russia may soon become an administrative offense, such a bill was supported. Lawyers call the change in legislation significant and note that the ban, invented for artisanal alcohol, can also include automobile “non-freezing”, bought from the road, and any other unmarked liquids.
The Ministry of Finance lists the restriction on the movement of alcohol-containing products as one of the points of the "road map" to stabilize the situation on the alcohol market in a letter addressed to the government.
The “road map”, in addition, implies toughening of criminal and administrative liability for the illegal sale and storage of alcohol and tobacco, as well as for the circulation of counterfeit brands for alcohol. Two relevant projects have been prepared by deputies and senators, the Ministry of Finance notes in its letter (Gazeta.Ru has a copy), both are supported.
In addition, it is proposed to establish responsibility for the illegal sale of alcohol via the Internet, including the extrajudicial blocking of sites that disseminate information about such a sale.
A bill prohibiting citizens from transferring and transporting unmarked alcohol-containing liquids from place to place was developed by a group of senators led by the chairman of the committee on budget and financial markets. This document, which is under preliminary consideration in, proposes a number of amendments to the law on the production and circulation of ethyl alcohol and to other regulations, in particular the Code of Administrative Offenses.
It is proposed to prohibit "the movement through the territory of the Russian Federation of alcoholic products with a strength of more than 28%, not marked in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, and (or) alcohol-containing food products." It is proposed not to apply the norm to relatively small volumes of liquid: 5 liters per person. It is also proposed to ban the retail sale of alcohol-containing products through vending machines.
Moving, as follows from the document, means not only transportation, but any change in the location of alcohol-containing products "with or without vehicles."
It's about vodka, but windshield washer is prohibited
As a justification for this innovation, the explanatory note refers to the movement of alcohol across the border from the Member States to the territory of Russia for the purpose of marketing. The number of established cases of illegal circulation of Kazakh vodka is growing, senators are worried.
Such cases, according to them, have become more frequent not only in the border regions of the Volga, Siberian, Ural and Southern federal districts, but also in large regional centers such as Volgograd and Tyumen, in the republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan.
"The current situation is aggravated by the low quality of such cheap vodka, which in some cases is a threat to life," reads the explanatory note. And, of course, the current situation reduces budget revenues and reduces the competitiveness of legal alcohol, the authors of the project add.
“The situation is actually much more serious than one might imagine,” says Dmitry, partner of the Zamoskvorechye Law Office.
Low-temperature washer fluids usually contain at least 30 percent alcohol, he says. It turns out that the bill applies to them.
If you bought an unmarked alcohol-containing container on the side of the road, then the fact that it is a windshield washer is known only to you and the seller, and from the point of view of the law, its transportation would be a violation.
But if the fines for the windscreen washer can be attributed to the category of possible curiosities, then in general the changes in the legislation can be assessed as very serious, Shevchenko believes.
To date, an administrative fine can be imposed for violations in the production and circulation of ethyl alcohol; the manufacturer and the seller can bear such responsibility.
And after the adoption of new norms, the buyer may also become a violator, who will face a fine from 3 thousand to 5 thousand rubles. with confiscation of products.
However, there are similar norms in the Criminal Code for drug trafficking, says lawyer Natalya Shaluba from the Burtseva, Agasieva and Partners collegium. But in the case of alcohol-based products, the concept of displacement is broader and more diffuse, she adds.
The most honest story about antifreeze liquids!
How Dangerous Is Methanol-Based Antifreeze Liquid?
Why does antifreeze bought in a reputable store often have an intolerable alcoholic smell?
Why does the difference in cost for an anti-freeze canister range from 60 to 250 rubles?
Why does the windshield washer fluid bought from the roadside have no alcohol smell but often freezes in the windshield washer barrel?
If you want to get answers to these and many other questions concerning non-freezing liquids, read the interview of Viktor Vladimirovich Makarov, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, President of NPO "KHIMSINTEZ", President of the Association of Producers and Consumers of Denatured Products DENALCO.
Many people know that by the order of the chief state sanitary doctor of the Russian Federation, the distribution of washing liquid based on methanol is prohibited. Everyone is also well aware that the anti-freeze market is simply bursting with counterfeit products, cheap methanol-based liquid - just visit an average spare parts store or even another supermarket to be convinced of this. Many manufacturers that produce a state-approved “anti-freeze” solution based on “legal” alcohols, ethanol and isopropanol, also do not hesitate to sell a methanol product. According to various sources, the share of "methanol" in this sector is over 50%.
Why, despite the fact that the state sanitary and epidemiological supervision bodies prohibit the use of methyl alcohol in the production of washer fluid, does this "anti-freeze" occupy such a strong position?
Why is it unprofitable to deal with ethyl isopropyl alcohols?
What about law-abiding producers who cannot compete with methanol producers?
For all these questions of interest to us - and not only us - we tried to get an answer from a specialist.
- Viktor Vladimirovich, how, in your opinion, can you characterize the situation on the market of antifreeze washer fluid today?
- The situation today is, I must say, rather strange. All - the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision, tax authorities, the Ministry of Internal Affairs - pretend that the flow of products to the consumer market is somehow regulated and controlled in accordance with the relevant orders, but in reality this is not. In addition, government agencies have taken a very conservative position regarding the use of methanol in non-freezing and do not want to revise this position.
- Yes, the ban on methanol is the biggest problem of this market. But didn't she always stand so painfully?
- Quite right, not always. Several years ago, manufacturers absolutely calmly made an antifreeze liquid based on methyl alcohol - after all, this technology is actively used, for example, in the USA and Canada. It was just that the labels warned about the dangers of internal fluid intake - and that's it. However, then the notorious decree No. 4 of 25.05.2000 by the chief state sanitary doctor of the Russian Federation, Gennady Onishchenko, was issued, according to which the use of methanol in the production of non-freezing was prohibited. As the main reason for the adoption of this document, Mr. Onishchenko named the horrifying alcoholic culture of Russia - many, after all, trying at all costs to achieve intoxication, drink this liquid itself or the products of its artisanal distillation.
- Is methanol really that dangerous?
- When taken internally - yes. Blindness at best, death at worst - these are the results of this misuse. However, if we compare the danger of methanol and isopropanol (one of the alcohols that serves as the basis for legal "non-freezing") in the form of vapors in the working area, then they will have the same hazard class - according to this indicator, they are one point inferior to another permitted alcoholic substance, ethanol. which of the "glass-washing" alcohols is the safest. Methanol and isopropanol have hazard class 3, ethanol - 4 (here the higher the number, the less harm to health). In addition, methanol - this is obvious to everyone who has even slightly encountered the relevant industries - in terms of its detergent properties it is much better than the other two alcohols - it is best suited for washing windshields in cold weather, and at the same time much cheaper.
After all, there are technologies that can prevent its use as a food product?
- And an entrepreneur who wants to open the production of washer fluid has to use only ethanol or isopropanol?
- Yes. But you just need to be prepared for the fact that production based on isopropanol is quite expensive (including due to the addition of fragrances, since the smell of this alcohol is harsh and unpleasant), and the purchase of technical (denatured) ethyl alcohol can be carried out only under quotas that gives the state. Both are very problematic - the first is clear why, and the second. And the second, in general, is understandable: the distribution of quotas depends on officials who may or may not make a decision in your favor, especially since there is a long queue of other applicants for you. By the way, there is another oddity in this area. The state very carefully monitors the movement of technical ethyl alcohol, although this is not particularly necessary - if the alcohol is denatured under the supervision of the competent authorities, it cannot be used for the production of alcoholic beverages. But with the supervision of methanol, where, according to the logic of the state itself, special control is needed, the situation is completely different. The police pretend to be fighting counterfeit manufacturers, but you can see for yourself that this pseudo-fight does not give any results. For example, a batch of "non-freezing" products based on methanol is confiscated - where is it sent to? - in theory, for processing. But there are simply no factories for processing this product into other substances in Russia. This means that some sort of recycling business is actually re-sticking the labels and sending the confiscated cans to the same consumer market.
- Do you see a serious danger in such a strange government policy regarding methanol?
- Yes I see. The danger is that manufacturers who can afford to make a product from ethanol or isopropanol simply cannot compete with methanol producers on price. More precisely, they can, but only in one way: to reduce the price by pouring the same methanol into the branded liquid they produce. But the thing is that on the label they will write "Does not contain methanol." However, this is done not only by serious manufacturers, but also by methanol producers. And this is even more dangerous than just the spread of methanol liquids: a person misled by the label and confident that there is ethyl alcohol in the liquid can drink it - anything happens - and die even more ridiculous. This is the danger posed by the half-hearted policy of state bodies.
- What way out of this situation do you see?
- There are actually three of them. The first is to further toughen the liability for methanol, introducing real criminal penalties not only for production, but also for sale.
The second is to remove the bureaucratic "slingshots" on the way to the use of denatured methanol, which excludes the possibility of poisoning.
The third is to remove quotas for the purchase of technical ethyl alcohol. On January 12, a meeting of the State Duma will take place, which will consider the issue of quotas. Let's see what decision the deputies will make.
From the point of view of the economic benefits of the enterprise, which I manage, the third option is more acceptable, but from the point of view of the state, it is probably still the second. But as long as methanol is three times cheaper than ethanol, motorists will most often be offered liquids with methanol and labeled “does not contain methanol” - the profit is too high and the level of corruption in law enforcement agencies is too high. It is better to honestly write "denatured methanol" and indicate the means and methods of protection, than to poison a certain category of the population and endanger the health of most motorists.
From Car Master: Despite the above reasoning, the use of methanol, in particular in the production of windshield washer fluids, is criminalized. For the sale of such a liquid, the seller runs the risk of being subject to an administrative fine of up to 100 minimum wages. And as long as the situation remains as it is, as long as the state remains satisfied with the current situation, we will still see such a "picture" at every step.
What is the responsibility for selling an anti-freeze liquid if methanol is found in it?
The question is of the following nature:
I open an anti-freeze department in my store (on a free space)
Yur. the person, the supplier brought all the documents (certificates), is ready to conclude a supply contract with the Consignment Notes, etc. The situation is as follows - everyone understands that this liquid is based on metonol (all non-freezing that does not smell on it), copy certificates (there are scans in color). The question is what will happen if the state authorities take products for analysis and identify methanol there? What is the fine? Criminal liability possible?
Lawyers Answers (1)
The Resolution of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation of July 11, 2007 N 47 "On the cessation of the use of methyl alcohol in vehicle care products" is in force, which states that organizations engaged in the production and sale of vehicle care products, including the number of windshield washer fluids, it is necessary to stop the practice of using methanol in their production, as well as the sale of these products containing methanol to the public. SP 2.3.3.2892-11 “Sanitary and hygienic requirements for the organization and performance of work with methanol”. Thus, both you and your supplier face administrative liability. (Article 6.3. Administrative Code)
Violation of legislation in the field of ensuring the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population, expressed in violation of the current sanitary rules and hygienic standards, failure to comply with sanitary and hygienic and anti-epidemic measures -
shall entail a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine on citizens in the amount of one hundred to five hundred rubles; for officials - from five hundred to one thousand rubles; for persons carrying out entrepreneurial activities without forming a legal entity - from five hundred to one thousand rubles or administrative suspension of activities for up to ninety days; for legal entities - from ten thousand to twenty thousand rubles or administrative suspension of activities for up to ninety days.
As for criminal liability, there is such an article in the Criminal Code, but I think it is in no way applicable to you:
Article 236. Violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules
Violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules, which, through negligence, entailed a mass illness or poisoning of people, - shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of up to eighty thousand rubles or in the amount of the wage or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to six months, or by deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for for up to three years, or compulsory labor for up to three hundred and sixty hours, or correctional labor for up to one year, or restraint of liberty for up to one year.
2. The same act that negligently entailed the death of a person is punishable by compulsory labor for a term of up to four hundred and eighty hours, or correctional labor for a term of six months to two years, or compulsory labor for a term of up to five years, or imprisonment for the same term.
And if, God forbid, someone decides to drink it? Who will be responsible?
Dmitriy
You are liable for the illegal trade in non-freeze containing methyl. You will be held accountable only if, for example, you yourself pour it to another person, tell him that it is safe to drink, and he will drink, as a result of which his health will be harmed.
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What is the penalty for violating the carriage of dangerous goods?
In case of improper transportation of dangerous goods, both administrative liability, expressed in penalties, and criminal liability, followed by a prison sentence, can be applied to the driver. What are the regulations for the transport of dangerous goods? What is considered a violation of the carriage of dangerous goods? Read this article.
What laws govern?
The rules for the carriage of dangerous goods, as well as penalties for non-observance, are regulated by the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.
- In case of violation of the rules for the carriage of dangerous goods using land vehicles, the measures described in article 12.21.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation are applied to the guilty driver;
- In case of improper transportation of dangerous goods by rail, the driver is punished in accordance with Article 11.14 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation;
- Violations in the rules for the carriage of dangerous goods by sea transport, which lead to environmental pollution, are "punished" by Article 8.19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation;
- In case of improper transportation of dangerous goods by air, the perpetrators will be punished in accordance with the "Rules for the carriage of dangerous goods by air" dated September 8, 2008.
In addition, local authorities can create, supplement new laws regulating the rules for the transport of dangerous goods in a particular region.
The rules for the transport of dangerous goods are also spelled out in the "European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods" (ADR).
The "European Agreement on the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods" contains a list of substances that are classified as dangerous:
- Diesel fuel;
- Petrol;
- Kerosene;
- Substances that are explosive (cartridges, gunpowder, bombs, fireworks, etc.);
- Gases (cylinders with compressed air, butane, chlorine, argon, propylene, ammonia, ethane, ether, helium, hydrogen, fire extinguishers, lighters, etc.);
- Substances that easily ignite and can explode (benzene, oils (camphor, fusel, resin, coniferous), adhesives, extracts, alcohols, fuel, paints, gasoline, methanol, gasoline, paint used in printing, perfumery, medical tinctures, matches , rubber, etc.);
- Substances considered toxic (mercury, alkaloids, etc.);
- Corrosive substances (Alkali, chlorine, sulfur, vinegar, phosphorus, sulfur);
Regulations for the carriage of dangerous goods
When transporting dangerous goods, the driver must have an appropriate permit. In addition, the following conditions must be considered:
- The transported dangerous goods must be hermetically packed. During transportation, there should be no threat of leakage of a dangerous substance, no accidental fire or explosion should occur;
Private persons are allowed to transfer such hazardous substances as gasoline, fuel, provided that there will be no more than sixty liters in one tank (vessel).
What will happen if dangerous goods are transported without a permit, but in compliance with the rules of transportation? The driver will be held administratively liable and will have to pay a fine. Read the next section for details.
What are the fines for violation of the rules of transportation?
- When transporting dangerous goods without permission, the driver (who is a private person), in accordance with article 12.21.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, must pay a fine of two to two and a half thousand rubles;
A private person will pay the same fine for violation of the rules for the carriage of dangerous goods.
- When transporting dangerous goods without permission, the driver (who is an official)), in accordance with article 12.21.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, will pay fine in the amount of fifteen to twenty thousand rubles;
- When transporting dangerous goods without permission or in violation of the rules for the carriage of dangerous goods, the driver (who is a legal entity), in accordance with Article 12.21.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, must pay fine in the amount of four hundred to five hundred thousand rubles.
These fines apply to such types of violations as:
- Lack of a document confirming that the driver transporting dangerous goods is properly trained and has sufficient driving skills;
- A document confirming that the vehicle on which the dangerous goods is transported is equipped in accordance with all the rules (it has warning signs on the body, information cards, if necessary, to eliminate the consequences of a leak or explosion, etc.);
Pay the fine online:
If the driver has committed other violations of the transportation of dangerous goods, then the system of fines here will be slightly different. So:
- If the improper transportation of goods is carried out by a private trader, then you will have to pay a fine in the amount of one to one and a half thousand rubles;
- If an official has committed violations in the transportation of dangerous goods, then the amount of the fine will be from five to ten thousand rubles;
- If the violation is committed by a legal entity, the fine will be from one hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty thousand rubles;
Penalty for methanol
Up to three years of imprisonment or a fine of 2 to 3 million rubles will threaten for the production and sale of alcohol without a license if its total cost upon seizure ranged from 100 thousand to 1 million rubles. If the price is even higher, the culprit can be given up to five years in prison. Corresponding amendments for the second reading may appear in the bill of senators Yevgeny Bushmin and Sergei Ryabukhin, which will be considered by the State Duma Committee on State Construction and Legislation on April 18.
Senators Yevgeny Bushmin and Sergei Ryabukhin introduced amendments to the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes to the State Duma in early December 2016, but the issue of toughening penalties for the sale of illegal alcohol again became topical after the mass poisoning in Irkutsk. There, in December last year, 76 people died after consuming Hawthorn bath concentrate. Instead of ethyl alcohol, it contained poisonous methyl alcohol, or methanol.
In mid-March 2017, the bill was adopted in the first reading. Today, the Duma Committee on State Construction and Legislation will consider the document before the second reading: the deputies have made amendments that further tighten the responsibility for the production, purchase, storage, transportation and retail sale of ethyl alcohol, alcohol and alcohol-containing products without a license (Article 171.3 of the Criminal Code). A fine of 2 to 3 million rubles or imprisonment for up to three years will threaten those from whom a batch of illegal alcohol is confiscated worth from 100 thousand to 1 million rubles (initially it was about a cost of 300 thousand to 1 million rubles). If the cost of illegal products exceeds 1 million rubles, then the offender may face up to five years of imprisonment or a fine of 3 to 4 million rubles.
Thus, the deputies took into account the government's remarks and indicated the amount of large and especially large damage in accordance with Article 171.1 of the Criminal Code, which provides for punishment for the production and sale of unmarked alcohol. At the same time, the government, in its positive response to the draft, previously pointed to the “excessiveness” of the proposed fines, but the deputies decided not to reduce them.
The State Duma also took into account the remarks of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the government concerning different liability for individuals and individual entrepreneurs for the repeated (after the imposed administrative penalty) illegal sale of alcohol and alcohol-containing food products. Now for these categories of persons an equal punishment is provided - a fine of 50-80 thousand rubles or correctional labor for up to a year. Initially, the senators suggested introducing a fine of 100-300 thousand rubles for individual entrepreneurs or a punishment of imprisonment up to two years. The Supreme Court and the Government of the Russian Federation in their responses indicated that criminal liability is provided only for individuals.
In addition, by the second reading, the deputies five times - to 100 thousand rubles - reduced the minimum amount, which is considered a large amount in cases of the manufacture and sale of counterfeit excise stamps. This will result in three to five years in prison or a fine of 500-800 thousand rubles.
One of the authors of the bill, Senator Sergei Ryabukhin, explained to Izvestia that the amendments proposed for the second reading would toughen the punishment for counterfeiters. In particular, the fines have not decreased, but the liability threshold has been reduced to 100 thousand rubles. According to him, if earlier penalties of a criminal nature started from 500 thousand rubles, now there is no need to wait for "the underground worker to produce half a million worth of products."
35-40 thousand people per year die from illegal alcohol, the whole world must fight this, - said the senator. - We need to make it clear that this is not a one-time action, this is a large-scale campaign against counterfeiting.
According to Ryabukhin, now the senators are developing another bill that establishes criminal and administrative liability for glass production.
One glass factory produces approximately 10 billion bottles of spirits. We believe that the directors of factories should bear consolidated responsibility for the release of low-quality alcohol on the market. We will force all factories to put an identification mark on their bottles, to prescribe the chemical composition of the bottle. If it is found that a person was poisoned from a bottle of this particular plant, then the owner is in collusion with illegal alcohol producers, the senator explained.
According to him, it is proposed to establish a similar measure of responsibility for container manufacturers - up to 5-6 years in prison and fines of up to 5-6 million rubles. The initiative will be submitted to the State Duma before the end of the spring session, the senator promised.
Entrepreneur, through whose fault 78 people died, got off with a fine
The Leninsky District Court of Irkutsk sentenced an entrepreneur who organized the illegal production of car windshield washer fluid using methanol, which killed 78 people from poisoning. The court ordered him to pay a fine of 250 thousand rubles and temporarily restricted his activities.
In 2016, an entrepreneur illegally bought methyl alcohol, which his employees mixed with water, perfume and dye with the aim of selling it as an “anti-freeze” for cars. The same methanol was sold by its employees to the producers of the deadly alcoholic lotion Hawthorn, reports Life.ru.
Saratov guardianship Child owner - we sell housing! We apply to the guardianship and trusteeship authorities. Child owner - we sell housing! We apply to the guardianship and trusteeship authorities. The presence in the owners or co-owners of the living quarters of the child (minor - up to 14 years old and minor - from 14 to 18), which you decided to buy [...]
The worse the weather, the more spontaneous anti-freeze points of sale along the roadsides. For a canister of poisonous blue liquid, they ask for only a hundred, while at gas stations the cost of antifreeze reaches 400 rubles. Here are 7 things you need to know to make the right choice.
1. If methanol or methyl alcohol enters the human body (and in canisters it is almost certainly) can lead to blindness and death. True, for such an outcome, it must be drunk, but methanol can enter the body in a different way. When pouring anti-freeze into the tank, drops of liquid end up on the driver's hands. After that, he will rub his eyes, smoke, pick his teeth - this may at least be enough for poisoning.
2. Breathing in vapors of such non-freezing is also dangerous, and you won't be able to breathe - through the ventilation system, they are guaranteed to penetrate into the passenger compartment. And there, not only the driver, who decided to save money, breathes a dangerous substance, but also his passengers. By the way, the largest concentration of harmful vapors in the passenger compartment is during parking and in traffic jams. During this time, in general, try to use the washer less often, even if you have normal legal fluid in the tank. If the "left" anti-freeze suddenly spills in the cabin or trunk, the saturation of the vapors in the car will increase dramatically, and with it all of the above health hazards. Moreover, the couples will disappear from the car for a very long time. It is necessary at least to properly ventilate the interior. By the way, it is worth doing this more often, and not only if you have something spilled: it is by no means useful to breathe even with legal non-freezing.
3. Methanol has a cumulative effect. The driver can use the methanol-based anti-freeze system for a long time and not notice any harm. However, in the body, methanol also breaks down into substances such as formic acid and formaldehyde. Over the years, the concentration of these toxins becomes critical, and health problems begin, usually with the respiratory tract, skin, central nervous system, and eyes. Moreover, it will be difficult for a sick person to identify the real cause of all this.
4. Another danger of the left anti-freeze is that it can still freeze. Suppose it is indicated on the label that the liquid does not crystallize up to -20, but in fact, even at -10 from it is already of no use. You can find out about this unexpectedly while driving, when you try to wash the dirty glass, but nothing comes out of the nozzles. It is no less unpleasant when the liquid pours, but the windshield instantly becomes covered with frost. In both cases, the driver is disoriented. So it’s not far from the accident.
5. You can understand that there is a dangerous "leftist" in front of you by smell. By the way, you do not need to diligently sniff everything that is offered to you - who knows what you will breathe. Remember the chemistry lessons, when they were advised to sniff any substances, not leaning on the flask, but pushing the vapors with your hand towards you. Oddly enough, the more unpleasant the anti-freeze aroma is, the more chances that there is no methanol in the canister. Isopropyl alcohol, which is used in legal washer fluids, has a pungent odor, which they try to drown out with equally powerful fragrances. Methyl alcohol itself smells soft and sweetish, so there is no need to interrupt the non-freeze manufacturers on the left.
6. Drivers with children should be especially careful when choosing washer fluid. After all, if an adult understands that this interesting smelling liquid is not worth drinking, then a child's sweetish aroma and unusual color can cause gastronomic interest. Again, this is unlikely in the case of isopropyl alcohol, but methanol smells well enough for some kind of fruit drink. The consequences, unfortunately, are disastrous.
7. The left anti-freeze can be recognized primarily by its price. Methanol is cheap to manufacture, so the anti-freeze, which is sold for 80-100 rubles, is almost one hundred percent made on its basis. Legal windshield washer fluid cannot cost that much, its price should be at least two times higher. Of course, those who take this cheap product will not spend money on containers made of thick, cloudy plastic. Although it is in such canisters (and not in standard five-liter transparent eggplants) that normal firms pour windshield washer fluid.
Police near Moscow reported the seizure of almost one and a half hundred tons of raw materials and ready-made counterfeit anti-freeze windshield washer fluid for cars. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, during the "Washer" preventive measure, operatives discovered an underground workshop in the Mytishchi region, which produced products "with signs of poisonous methyl alcohol (methanol) content in it."
During the operation, the law enforcement officers first installed a truck carrying 4,700 bottles of anti-freeze without any documents, and only then went to the place of clandestine production. In the village of Yudino, in the building of a former cowshed, two cisterns were found containing about 80 tons of alcohol-containing liquid, about 60 tons of diluted dye, as well as plastic containers and labels. The police noted that 50 illegal migrants from Central Asia were engaged in the production of glass washing liquid. They poured antifreeze liquid into five-liter bottles and pasted labels - "Cosmos", "JET FLAME" and "SAFE WATER".
The operatives found out that the underground merchants worked for about three months, and their products were bottled for specific orders. “Usually at night, trucks drove up to the shop, which in two hours were already being produced with products ready for sale. Then non-freezing was spread on the highways and car markets of the Moscow region and nearby regions, ”the message says. The samples were sent for examination, the results of which have not yet been received, but the police are almost sure that the products contain methanol banned in Russia.
Now the shop has been taken under guard, the migrants were detained pending identification, and the investigators are looking for the owners of the building and the organizers of the production, and they are also deciding whether to initiate a criminal case under several articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Producers and sellers of methanol face criminal liability under Art. 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (production, storage, transportation or sale of goods and products that do not meet safety requirements). If an organized group was engaged in production, then its participants face up to six years in prison, and in the event of the death of two or more persons from their products, the maximum term increases to 10 years in prison. In addition, the production of liquids containing methanol can be classified under Art. 234 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (illegal circulation of potent or poisonous substances for marketing purposes).
“There are two main types of windscreen washer fluids - from illegal methanol and legal isopropyl alcohol,” Andrey, managing partner of Gladys, told Gazeta.Ru. - They are mixed with water, surfactants and fragrances. There are non-freezers with the addition of ethylene glycol, but they leave greasy stains on the glass. "
The main opponents of methanol-based products claim to be toxic and say that they are much more dangerous to the body than isopropyl-based products. However, even when he prohibited methyl alcohol washers, he admitted that they are no more dangerous than others. The first time methanol products were banned in Russia was in May 2000. The decree of the Ministry of Health "On the prohibition of the use of windshield washer fluids containing methyl alcohol (methanol)" was signed by the chief sanitary doctor of Russia, Gennady.
The decision was made due to the widespread use of methanol as an alcoholic beverage, “given the low level of culture and hygienic education of a part of the population, neglect of factors harmful to health, and compliance with sanitary requirements in the field of occupational hygiene, an increase in "Without a fixed place of residence."
When it enters the human body, methanol causes severe intoxication, damage to the nervous system, deafness and blindness, after which painful death occurs.
At the same time, Onishchenko directly admitted that when used as intended, methyl washers are no more harmful than other analogues. "The use of windscreen washer fluids for their intended purpose does not have a harmful effect on human health, which is confirmed by the long-term practice of using them abroad and the absence of poisoning in our country," the document says directly.
In July 2007, another resolution of the Ministry of Health was issued, signed by Onishchenko, "On the cessation of the use of methyl alcohol in vehicle care products." Its appearance was caused by the fact that no one paid special attention to the previous ban, and it was directly stated that “domestic enterprises” were engaged in the production of “wrong” windscreen washer fluids. Referring again to the grave consequences of using methanol as an alcohol substitute, Onishchenko once again banned it, urging government agencies to strengthen control measures over methyl alcohol producers and prevent its use in the production of appropriate products for motorists.
Despite the long-term ban on methanol and a slight increase in the standard of living of the population, Russians continue to stubbornly poison themselves with methyl alcohol-based windshield washers. In particular, on November 30 last year, five people, including a 51-year-old woman, died after drinking this drug in the village of Beloomut near Moscow.
According to Andrey Aleksandrov, whose company is engaged in the production of legal windscreen washers, there are many special additives that could make methyl alcohol completely unusable inside. “There hasn't been a single case of poisoning with methyl alcohol-based windscreen washers,” he says. -
It cannot be called useful, but for the body it is more precisely no more harmful than a washer based on isopropyl alcohol. "
A successful special operation in the Moscow region is one of many that is organized throughout the country in winter. "Washer" directed against illegal manufacturers of glass cleaning fluids invariably brings results, however, despite all the prohibitions, the amount of cheap anti-freeze on the sides of Russian roads does not decrease, and it can be purchased without any problems.
At the same time, counterfeit manufacturers, as a rule, hide the fact that their products contain methanol, without indicating this on the label, but most drivers are perfectly aware of the origin of the product due to the absence of an unpleasant odor and low cost.
Anti-freeze prices do vary considerably. If you can buy an illegally manufactured methanol liquid for 100-150 rubles for 5 liters, then an officially approved product based on isopropyl alcohol costs 300-500 rubles. Considering that some drivers spend tens, if not hundreds of liters of anti-freeze during the season, the resulting price difference can be quite noticeable.
Non-freezing from methyl alcohol is bought, despite the prohibitions, because it has a number of advantages, - continues Aleksandrov. - This is its low price, and the absence of an unpleasant odor, and it is actually much more suitable for washer fluid than isopropyl alcohol. Methyl alcohol and glass washes better, and freezes at a lower temperature. "
According to Aleksandrov, methyl alcohol is approved for use in many European countries and the United States and is actively used there as a basis for windshield washer. “The reasons for banning methyl alcohol are not limited to the version voiced by Gennady Onishchenko. In my opinion, there were also political moments, - he noted. - Instead of raising the culture of the population, he deprived the bulk of the population, who would never have thought of drinking it, of the opportunity to use products based on methyl alcohol and forces them to poison themselves with isopropyl vapors, which has a very pungent odor.
Their hazard class for vapors in the working area is absolutely the same, only one smells terribly, and the other has no smell. The only difference is that methyl alcohol belongs to the category of toxic substances, but this is if you drink it. "
According to the entrepreneur, since the prohibition of methyl alcohol, sales of windshield washer based on it have significantly decreased. “The market is simply divided into legal and shadow, and I think many are quite happy with this state of affairs,” he is sure.
Aleksandrov admits that, like most drivers, he often buys illegal goods. “Knowing all this background, I myself sometimes buy a cheap washer near the road, because I don't want to breathe in an unpleasant smell,” he says. - It's a matter of taste for everyone - whether you are ready to buy a smelly product at a more expensive price or a cheap one with better properties and odorless. The second option seems more reasonable to me, but here the problem may be that the underground manufacturer sometimes cheats with the degree when the label says "-30", but in reality the liquid will freeze at -5. But if at -20 on the street you see an anti-freeze for 100 rubles, of course, the driver needs to take it and stock up on it for the whole winter. Maybe it was made in the garage, but nothing will freeze with it. "
Such concern for the health of degraded citizens endangered the lives of millions of drivers who, in severe frosts, are deprived of the opportunity to drive with clean windows. For 17 years, the situation has not changed. Illiterate statements in some media only exacerbate it: every now and then you have to read about the pungent smell of washer in methanol ... Meanwhile, we are always talking about isopropyl, whose amber cannot be confused with any other.
We are forbidden to use methanol, and in fact it is safer than the now officially sold washers! Measurements in the passenger compartment with a permanently switched on window washer show that when using a liquid based on methanol, its maximum permissible concentration in the driver's working area is reached in about five minutes, and if it is based on isopropanol - after 5-10 seconds. Wow, the difference!
Not for internal use
According to our observations, about 50% of the glass washers sold on the market are counterfeit methanol liquids. And since methyl alcohol is actually outlawed in our country, clandestine manufacturers of washers buy it illegally, without even informing their own employees what they are dealing with. Poisonous methanol tastes and smells indistinguishable from edible ethanol. Therefore, these workers, not realizing the danger, not only can get drunk themselves, but sometimes sell stolen alcohol on the side.
It is for this reason that methanol walks around the country, multiplying deaths. And the main source of its uncontrolled free circulation is where it passes like a regular industrial alcohol. At enterprises that legally use methanol, this is impossible: the liquid comes in road or rail tank cars with the inscription "Methanol is poison", is stored in containers with similar reminders, and all employees are informed what methanol is and how to work with it.
The most popular solution in our country is to ban, close, destroy. But the illegal market will not disappear from this. And the prices for the washer will jump! Isopropyl alcohol, on the basis of which washing liquids are made in our country, is produced by the only enterprise in the country - the Orsk Synthetic Alcohol Plant. The end result is that the cost of its products will rise to the level of imported ones.
This leads to an even wider price gap between illegal methanol and legal isopropyl washers. Both the consumer and the honest producer are losing.
Viscosity of glass washer liquids based on various alcohols
*Less is better.
The solution is ready!
Methanol is poisonous only when it enters the stomach. So, you just need to prevent ingestion. The easiest way is to make it denatured by adding the so-called denatonium benzoate (aka bitrex) to it. This super-bitter substance instantly discourages the use of such non-freeze for other purposes. By the way, Bitrex was tested according to a program signed by the same sanitary doctor and passed all tests.
Is it necessary to denature all the methanol produced? It is enough to introduce “selective” denaturation so that, along with technical methanol, which is produced in accordance with GOST 2222–95, denatured one is produced - according to TU or STO. After the legalization of such a product by Rospotrebnadzor, it will become possible to produce windshield washer fluids that are absolutely unsuitable for ingestion. Moreover, you can also do with raw materials based on ethyl alcohol. The state will receive an excise tax on the sale of edible alcohol, and finished products made using denatured alcohol must be exempted from excise taxes. Everyone will win. If, of course, the state wants to preserve people's health.