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United Russia opposes allowing some alcohol % for drivers

MOSCOW, October 15 (Itar-Tass) —— United Russia members in the State Duma do not support the proposal to return the regulation allowing a minimal level of alcohol content in a driver's blood, a member of the party's presidium in the Duma, first deputy head of the Duma's Committee on Industry Vladimir Gutenev told Itar-Tass.

The party presidium meeting was held behind closed doors.

The draft law to take more severe legislative measures to prevent traffic accidents will be submitted to the Russian government on Monday, he said.

The United Russia members' leader in the parliament's lower house Andrei Vorobyov, head of the Committee on Constitutional Legislation Vladimir Pligin and head of the Committee on Security Irina Yarovaya opposed returning the allowed alcohol percentage, Gutenev noted.

Chairman of the Committee on Labour and Social Policy Andrei Isayev also confirmed that the United Russia presidium did not support the proposal to again allow a minimal ppm level of alcohol content in a driver's blood. Most of the presidium members are against setting down the level in the law.

Yarovaya noted that any alcohol percentage became a short distance to a tragedy.

The presidium took the only right decision to preserve the zero-ppm restriction, she told reporters, noting that the task of the state is to protect safety of life and health of citizens.

The idea to return the allowed percentage and at the same time to impose more severe measures against drunk driving was discussed in the context of amendments to the regulations in the Code on Administrative Offences, the Criminal Code and the law on traffic safety.

Pligin said earlier that the draft law would be submitted to the Russian government and the Supreme Court before the submission to the State Duma. The legislation in the area will be revised during the lower house's autumn session, he added.