The St. Petersburg government has passed legislation banning the sale of alcohol between the hours of 10 p.m. and 11 a.m. The law passed its third and final reading last week.
The federal law that regulates the sale of alcohol was introduced in July 2012. At the time, the sale of alcohol was restricted between the hours of 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. Now, St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko has proposed legislation aimed at increasing the prohibition. 32 out of 50 deputies agreed with the governor’s measures.
The law was first proposed in May 2013. After a first successful reading, a second reading brought in some changes, shortening the hours when alcohol would be unavailable for sale from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. During the bill’s third reading, however, a decision was made to maintain the initial timeframe and restrict the sale of alcohol between 10 p.m. until 11 a.m. After the final reading, the legislation was sent for the governor’s signature.
In addition to the restricted hours of sale, drinks containing alcohol will no longer be sold at street markets, railway stations, near schools and hospitals or in other places where crowds of people gather. Restaurants, bars and clubs are exempt from the new legislation, which also exempts the sale of beer from the new law.
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Source: St. Petersburg Times - Olga Kalashnikova