UPDATE: Official says watchdog wants disinfectants with alcohol restricted

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MOSCOW, Sep 5 (PRIME) -- The Federal Service of Alcohol Market Regulation plans to scale up fight against illegal sales of ethanol in pharmaceuticals and wants to restrict alcohol-containing disinfectants, head of the authority Igor Alyoshin told PRIME in an interview published on Wednesday.

“This is higher responsibility for illegal sales of medical alcohol, prevention of its black market sales including arrest of vehicles and containers, cancellation of (free) sales of antiseptic medical liquids and others,” Alyoshin said.

He also said the authority plans to discuss introduction of minimum retail beer prices with the Finance Ministry.

“Beer producers have asked me to introduce minimum retail prices, this is why we will consider the issue in all aspects and submit it to the Finance Ministry for a discussion,” Alyoshin said.

He also said that the watchdog contributed a lot to a 40% alcohol consumption decline per capita over the last 12 years but there is still much room for improvement and a change of consumption structure.

Deputy Finance Minister Ilya Trunin said the ministry will not initiate introduction of minimum beer prices but is ready to discuss the measure.

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