Russian Leader Wants Ban on Alcohol Ads

Alcohol advertising would be banned and sales limited by location and time of day under a plan endorsed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, CBC News reported Sept. 11.

Medvedev called alcoholism in Russia a “national disaster” in unveiling plans that also include bans on sales of large containers of beer and prison sentences for those convicted of selling alcohol to youths under age 18. The new rules would go into effect before the end of the year.

Experts say that more than half of all deaths in Russia are related to alcohol use.