President Dmitry Medvedev last year ordered tough measures to curb alcohol abuse in a country where the average Russian drinks 18 litres (38 pints) of pure alcohol each year.
In January, Russia raised taxes on beer and introduced a minimum vodka price of 89 roubles per half litre, effectively doubling the cost of the cheapest bottle.
Now the Finance Ministry has proposed increasing the minimum price to 120 roubles in 2011, 160 roubles in 2012 and 200 roubles in 2013, local news agencies quoted deputy minister Sergei Shatalov as saying Wednesday.
"Vodka should not be cheap, it is not a product of first necessity," Shatalov said, according to Itar-Tass. . . . . .
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