Driver candidates will be required to undergo tests to check for chronic alcoholism and the presence of drugs in the body. On April 30, Kommersant writes about this with reference to the draft order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.
It is assumed that the document will regulate the procedure for obtaining medical certificates within the framework of driving commissions.
It is noted that a citizen will be sent for research if the doctor noticed signs of chronic alcoholism or drug addiction. At the same time, it is not specified what kind of features are in question. The order, however, does not specify what these signs are.
For drivers who return their rights after being deprived, testing will become mandatory.
In 2019, the Ministry of Health has already tried to introduce such measures. In particular, it was proposed to oblige citizens to donate blood for the presence of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT-test), indicating the presence of a chronic disease in a person.
The innovation would lead to an increase in the price of a medical certificate by 10-13 times. After that, the initiative was criticized by President Vladimir Putin, and the Ministry of Health postponed the date for the introduction of the new rules to 2022 and sent the document back for revision.
Now, instead of CDT tests, it is proposed to do “laboratory tests of blood and (or) urine for the determination of chronic alcohol use.”
On March 16, it became known that Russia plans to increase the maximum prison term from two to three years for systematic drunk driving.