Russia extends ban on selling alcohol-containing non-foods for 2 months
MOSCOW. Jan 25 (Interfax) - The Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) has extended the ban on selling alcohol-containing non-foods for another 60 days.
"Rospotrebnadzor proposed that the ban on selling certain kinds of alcohol-containing non-foods be extended for 60 days, and the proposal gained the support of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev," the service's website said.
The chief public health official has drafted a resolution to this end, which will be duly registered, it said.
The crackdown on alcohol surrogates was boosted by the death of 76 people poisoned with the Boyaryshnik bath lotion in Irkutsk in December 2016.
Late last year Medvedev expressed support for the proposal of Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova to suspend the sale of non-foods with alcohol content exceeding 25%.
The ban took effect on December 26, 2016.
More than 500,000 alcohol-containing non-food products were seized as a result, Rospotrebnadzor said. "The 33% decline in poisoning cases and the 65% reduction of deaths over the New Year holiday season proved the efficiency of those measures," it said.
"The ban did not have negative implications for the economic activity of legal, bona-fide businesses, which was repeatedly stated by manufacturers of perfume, cosmetic products and household chemicals and retailers," it said.
