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Over 70% of Russians support ban on alcohol sales to people under 21 — poll

36% think that anyone under 21 should be banned from buying not only spirits but any type of alcohol

MOSCOW, May 16. /TASS/. The majority of Russians support a ban on selling hard liquor or any other products containing alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, according to the results of a poll by the Superjob service made available to TASS.

Earlier, the media reported that the Russian Health Ministry was considering raising the minimum age to purchase products with high alcohol content (over 17.5 degrees) to 21 as part of its new anti-alcohol campaign. The Superjob service conducted a survey among 1,600 working Russians across the country.

"Some 37% of Russians agree with the initiative which is three percentage points more than in 2021 when the Health Ministry originally suggested this. Another 36% think that anyone under 21 should be banned from buying not only spirits but any type of alcohol. Only 16% oppose the Health Ministry’s initiative thinking that the ban won’t resolve the issue but will only expand ‘the black market,’" the poll results say.

According to 59% of those surveyed, 21 should become the minimum age for purchasing alcohol. The current drinking age of 18 is supported by every fourth respondent (24%) while 4% of those polled favored lowering it to 16.

According to Superjob, the majority of those who supported the drinking ages of 16 and 18 were under the age of 34 (6% and 31%, respectively), while those over 45 (64%) favored a higher drinking age. Regular drinkers are twice as likely as those who abstain from alcohol to think that 18 is an appropriate age to be allowed to purchase alcohol (32% versus 17%).

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