10 Jun 2010

Price of vodka to double

9:20 pm on 10 June 2010

The Russian government is proposing a big increase in the tax on alcohol that could double the minimum price of vodka over the next two years.

The BBC reports the rise is part of a campaign to reduce excessive drinking in a country where two million people are officially classified as alcoholics.

But drinks companies have warned it could lead to a big increase in illegal alcohol production.