SMS Versus Counterfeit Vodka
Starting soon, Russians will be able to utilize SMS to ensure that the Vodka they are drinking is legitimate. By sending the serial number located on the bottle to a designated short code, they will get a response via text verifying or denying the product. The project is an initiative by state run Rosspirtprom, the company responsible for the sale of 60% of strong alcohol in the country and the distributor of the top brands.
The sale of counterfeit vodka is a huge problem in Russia, not just because it hurts the major brands sales, but because the counterfeit drinks are filled with cologne water, antifreeze liquids or pure alcohol. Fake vodka is responsible for 40,000 deaths each year. This easy and efficient method of preventing counterfeit vodka will hopefully assist in the decrease of unnecessary deaths in the country.
