Official: Russia to make alcohol-containing liquid sales rules stricter

MOSCOW, Dec 19 (PRIME) – Russia will soon change legislation to restrict sales of alcohol-containing liquids, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin said at a government meeting on Monday.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called on the government to prohibit retail sales of alcohol-containing liquids, such as infusions or technical liquids, after massive poisoning of people who drank liquids labeled as haw infusion in Irkutsk, resulting in the death of 33 people.

“We cannot put up with this no more, and as soon as normative acts appear, all necessary measures must be taken either to withdraw such preparations from retail, or to control their turnover fully,” he said.

Khloponin said that the government plans to control production and distribution of the liquids via its united automated information system, which will prevent illegal sales. He said that the medicines containing alcohol will be sold under a prescription-only system and non-medicine liquids will have a higher duty.

The government will charge a full, 530 ruble excise on all alcohol-containing products, he said.

The Criminal Code will make penalties and criminal charges for illegal sales of alcohol-containing products more serious.

(61.7515 rubles – U.S. $1)

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