ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN SWITZERLAND: FROM THE "POTATO PLAGUE" TO THE DILUTED VODKA

It has long been known that social alcoholism is an indicator of public moral and wellbeing of the state. Alcoholism is no longer the problem of one particular family but a global issue. How can it be otherwise if a drunkard lying on the ground in broad daylight has become a familiar sight, as well as a violent drinker? Not a single day passes without a number of alcohol related crimes. There is no consensus on when and where alcohol first appeared, but alcoholic drinks are known to have already been quite common during pagan festive and funeral feasts or public merrymakings. As a rule, the main raw material for alcoholic beverages (brags, mead, or beer) in those days was honey, so their influence was more invigorating than intoxicating.  In ancient times, this phenomenon was, similarly, a source of much trouble, resulting in Pythagoras (about 540–500 BC) and Aristotle (384–322 BC) being the first methodologists of sober upbringing, and both were described by their contemporaries as displaying teetotalling views, which they passed on to their disciples and followers. Taking into consideration all mentioned above, the history of making and drinking alcohol goes back to ancient times. Living conditions has always had an impact on these processes. The article does not aim at a deep and thorough description of the phenomenon of drinking, production and consumption of liquor; it covers some aspects that remain matters of concern even in such a seemingly prosperous country as modern-day Switzerland. Considering various living conditions of those ancient days, modern historians do not see alcoholics of the past as depraved, weak-willed individuals any more. They believe that it is life conditions (no means of subsistence, poverty, ailing economy, crisis in the country) leading people into hopeless predicament that make people want to look for a way to forget about their troubles for a while. In such a situation one needs support in defining the causes that lead some social strata to unfavorable and malignant conditions. Some social groups are more likely to become vulnerable and even tend to turn anti-social if deprived of support. The long history of fight against alcoholism has often proved that alcoholism cannot be destroyed by frontal, permanent and absolute bans of alcoholic beverages. Therefore, it requires an unconditional fulfillment of alcohol products, existing norms and rules, including those that are prohibitive, by all entities of legal relations in the sphere of production and turnover, as well as a change in the structure of alcohol consumption and the cultivation of a drinking culture and other urgent measures in this. Modern society is getting more and more focused on the four principles that make up the basis of alcohol policy in Switzerland: prevention, treatment, harm reduction and repression. The fact that prevention and repression take the first and the last place correspondingly conforms to the alcohol policy in Switzerland: first they try to avoid the problem, then they treat those for whom preventive measures did not work, then they minimize the harm that habitual drinkers can cause, and repressive measures are considered the last resort, prevention being the main principle. Also, one of the ways of preventive struggle against alcoholism, along with public awareness activities and providing decent living conditions, is to raise alcohol taxes. History shows that liberal policy is based on self-responsibility of people and can be effective only where there is a perspective of a decent life, which presupposes a more or less stable economic situation that allows one to believe in social security.