Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who launched a campaign to fight pervasive alcohol abuse in Russia earlier this year, pledged on Tuesday measures to battle the national woe would not be extreme.
"I do not like to solve problems using 'take-it-off-the-shelf' measures," the president said, commenting on a proposal put forward by the Russian Communists leader Gennady Zyuganov.
Zyuganov earlier on Tuesday proposed all alcohol and tobacco sales be banned across the country, citing statistics over the last 10 years that Russians are purchasing tobacco and alcohol at a much younger age.
"To take [alcohol and tobacco] off the shelves does not lead to solving the problem," he said.
Alcohol consumption in Russia is more than double the critical level set by the World Health Organization, a WHO report said last fall. Russia's Public Chamber said last summer some 500,000 die annually from diseases, crimes and accidents due to alcohol.
Dmitry Medvedev has reiterated that the problem was tantamount to a national security threat.
However, he said on Tuesday the country should fight alcohol abuse and smoking by promoting a healthy way of life rather than imposing "prohibition."
"We should create a positive motivation to make our schoolchildren and society in general live a normal, healthy lifestyle. We should not make changes by imposing bans," he said.
The country has seen an alcohol prohibition during World War I. A full ban on producing and selling alcoholic drinks was imposed by Tsar Nicholas II.
The Soviet government that came to power in 1917 continued fighting alcohol abuse in the country by imposing a ban on producing and selling spirit and high-proof alcohol in December 1917. Those violating the rule faced up to five years in prison with confiscation of property. The ban was cancelled in August 1923.
The last Russian leader to try to cut alcohol consumption was Mikhail Gorbachev, who in May 1985 attempted to put an end to the rampant alcoholism that was already taking its toll on the Soviet Union's economy and health system.
However, his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, and the illicit production of moonshine - 'samogon' - rocketed, not to mention a sudden rise in sales of medicinal and industrial spirit. The never-popular policy of prohibition was later quietly dropped.
MOSCOW, January 19 (RIA Novosti)
