In an attempt to weed out illegal producers and gain better control over the quality of spirits, the government has issued a decree prohibiting the sale of pure alcohol in most of Russia, a government spokesman said.


The decree requires registration of all liquor traders as well as regular quality checks, and outlaws sidewalk sales and sales "from poorly equipped facilities."


Vartan Ovsepyan, the government spokesman, said Monday that selling pure alcohol has been out of control and companies, often lacking licenses, have been selling poor quality spirits.


Pure alcohol, or spirit, "is extremely popular in this country and companies are selling everything under the trademark of pure drinking alcohol. People are dying."


Ovsepyan also said easy access to pure alcohol gives illegal producersa huge quantity of raw material for producing vodka of very poor quality.


He said the decree permits sale of pure alcohol only in the Far North because of the climate and the high cost of transportation of vodka there.


Ovsepyan said the pure alcohol business was profitable and it would be difficult to carry out the decree.


Lidia Tereshkova of the State Health Inspectorate said almost 70 percent of all imported spirit and 62 percent of Russian spirit turned out to be dangerous for health.


"Pure alcohol is very cheap. That is why it is so popular. But the number of poisonings and lethal cases has increased by 200 percent in recent years and I am very glad the government at last took the decision," she said.