The National Automobile Union (NAU) has asked the government to lift its ban on the production of methyl antifreeze for cars.
NAS President Anton Shaparin, in his letter to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, emphasized that methanol-based antifreeze is still being produced and that marginalized individuals still have the option to purchase it.
In addition, it is necessary to support manufacturers of methyl alcohol – the legalization of washing products based on it will increase the demand for their products.
“The export sales channels for Russian methanol are currently virtually blocked due to the limited Russian throughput capacity. Methanol producers are forced to sell products to Asian countries at minimum prices to avoid stopping production,” Izvestia quotes the text of the letter.
Recall that methanol-based antifreeze was banned on July 1, 2000 after Decree No. 4 of Chief Physician Gennady Onishchenko was issued in May. It’s about the safety of methanol-based cleaners:
“… the use of methanol-based windshield washer fluids for their intended purpose has no harmful effect on human health, which is confirmed by years of practice of its use abroad and the absence of poisoning in our country.”
And here is the reason for their ban:
“At the same time, given the low level of culture and hygiene education of part of the population… the recent increase of “socially reduced persons” without permanent residence… to ban the production and sale of windshield washer fluids containing methanol from 01.07.2000.”
Meanwhile, methanol is cheap, does not freeze at low temperatures, and does not have a strong odor, unlike isopropyl alcohol (thickens already at -5ºC, costs 4 times more and has a pungent odor).
Za Rulem, the oldest and most authoritative automotive publication in Russia, supports the US’s desire to lift the ban on methanol-based washers because they can provide drivers with good visibility in cold weather without straining motorists’ wallets.