The topic of the meeting was the implementation of measures aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle and informing the public about the dangers of alcohol abuse. Mr Zubkov said: "This work is underway, and we are already seeing positive results. Significantly, the agencies involved have made use of modern media in their work, like the Internet and television. The Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development and Rosalkogolregulirovaniye (the Russian Federal Service for Alcohol Market Regulation) have helped create the web portals ‘How healthy' (www.takzdorovo.ru) and ‘No to alcohol abuse' (www.pyanstvu-net.ru), which are up and running now."

The commission approved of the progress made, as summarised in a recent report. The commission also reviewed the implementation of measures to improve regulation of the alcohol market, which were approved by the government on December 14, 2009.

"For probably the first time in its history, the government has taken a comprehensive and balanced regulatory approach towards the alcohol market," Mr Zubkov said. "The work is going according to plan. The government has endorsed a framework policy on reducing alcohol abuse through 2020. The effects of a government monopoly on alcohol have been evaluated, and it was decided that this move would be unwise. Next on the agenda is changing the system of levying excise duties on spirits and wine, toughening criminal and administrative punishments for violations of laws on the production and distribution of alcohol, and finalising the technical regulations on alcohol products developed by the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development."

Another topic of discussion at the meeting was the progress made on a draft law that would amend the law On Government Regulation of the Production and Distribution of Ethyl Alcohol and Alcohol Products and the law On Restricting the Retail Sale and Consumption of Beer and Beer-Based Beverages.

The commission has decided to study more thoroughly the issue of introducing restrictions on when retailers can sell alcohol. "We should review this issue carefully and take into consideration the varying experiences of regions where such time restrictions are already in place," Mr Zubkov said. "It is easier to impose such restrictions at the local level. However, the reports we have been getting indicate that this measure has clearly had a positive effect on the whole. In some regions the restrictions are even tougher than the ones suggested today. The most important thing is to do no harm. Therefore, I propose that we discuss this issue with the regions once again."

In an effort to enforce the ban on selling alcohol products to minors, the commission has approved a proposal to add a provision to the draft law that would give salespeople the legal right to request ID verifying the age of the customer.

The commission sought to minimise administrative procedures regulating entrepreneurship by voting down additional security labels on delivery and sales documents involved in the distribution of alcohol. "We need to improve the licensing of wholesale alcohol transactions, not a system that allows officials to extort money from businesses," Mr Zubkov said.