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Just Russia's Mironov supports full ban on alcohol for drivers

Speaking about measures against traffic regulation violations, he said the sanctions should be more severe

MOSCOW, October 15 (Itar-Tass) —— The leader of the Just Russia Party's members in the State Duma, Sergei Mironov, supports the full ban on alcohol for drivers.

"My personal position is that zero must be left for one reason – people in Russia do not know when to stop," Mironov told reporters on Monday.

When a person understands that a small glass of vodka is 0.2%, he surely will not confine himself to one small glass, he said.

At the same time, Mironov noted that Just Russia members had various views on the matter.

Speaking about measures against traffic regulation violations, he said the sanctions should be more severe.

The presidium of United Russia's members in the Duma on Monday either did not support the proposal to return the regulation allowing a minimal alcohol content level in a driver's blood.

At the same time, First Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on Constitutional Legislation Vyacheslav Lysakov stated that he would insist on his view to return the allowed minimal 0.2%.

There is one chance – to submit it as an amendment to the second reading of the draft law on more severe measures against traffic regulation violations, he told reporters on Monday, after the United Russia presidium meeting rejected the proposal.

Lysakov describes the decision to leave absolute zero in the regulations as a political mistake. The lawmaker said he sent an expert conclusion on the issue to Premier Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday.

The presidium of United Russia's members in the State Duma, at its closed-door meeting on Monday, rejected the proposal to allow a minimum level of alcohol content in a driver's blood.

United Russia 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.

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 of 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.