Majority of Russians want alcohol sales ban after 9 p.m.

Over 60% of Russians are in favor of a possible ban on alcohol sales after 9 p.m., according to a survey released on Monday by the recruitment portal SuperJob.ru.

Viktor Zubkov, who heads the governmental commission on alcohol regulation and is a first deputy prime minister, said last week the long awaited legislation restricting hours for selling alcohol was still up in the air and should be discussed with regional officials.

"62% of those surveyed in Russia are in favor of such a ban. The idea is backed most frequently by respondents 40-50 years of age (65%), who are concerned about the younger generation," the survey said.

Some survey respondents said the government should ban alcohol all together and send all the drinkers off "to Siberia for correctional labor."

However, 26% of respondents were against the ban to sell alcoholic beverages after 9 p.m., fearing the ban would lead to more corruption, as any action must have a counter-action.

Another 12% had no opinion.

Some 1,800 people took part in the survey.

The poll comes as President Dmitry Medvedev launched a crusade against pervasive alcohol abuse in Russia earlier this year, describing it as a "national disaster" and aiming to halve consumption by 2020 and root out illegal production and sales.

Beers with an alcohol content ranging from 0.5% to 8.6% account for 98% of the Russian beer market. Brands with alcohol content exceeding 8.6% make up less than 1%, and alcohol-free beers account for around 1.5%.

Russia has tripled excise duties on beer as part of the campaign to fight alcohol abuse.

However, for example, in Moscow hard alcoholic beverages are unavailable in most stores from 11 p.m. until 8 a.m. In Chechnya`s capital of Grozny, a mostly Muslim republic in the North Caucasus, alcoholic beverages are not sold in stores after 8 p.m.

sections: Society