NATIONAL PROJECTS
Vladimir Putin has shared his views on how to keep teenagers from smoking and alcohol
Few people were smoking at the Government House yesterday considering the nature of the problems the non-smoking Prime Minister was going to raise at a meeting of the Presidium of the Council on National Projects.
"We have passed laws to ban smoking and drinking at educational institutions, stadiums and in other places," Mr Putin said. "Selling alcohol and cigarettes to children is strictly forbidden. However, these bans are not very strictly observed and in some places they are ignored."
The Prime Minister noted that the law enforcement bodies and the local authorities must take tough measures to comply with the law: "Nobody should make a profit at the expense of children's health."
Mr Putin then passed on to discussing the current economic situation and the healthy way of life: "We all understand what is happening. We see it and we try to react. Even so, the number of jobs is shrinking. Wages are being cut at some enterprises. That reduces family incomes, and everything must be done to keep the children protected from the pernicious influence of the street in these conditions."
When Mr Putin turned to the question of physical culture the ministers perked up. "Sporting facilities - which are not that costly - must be made affordable to everyone regardless of their income," Mr Putin said. "School gyms and stadiums must be open round the clock, not just during class time. Of course trainers and teachers must be paid for it. We know very well that in the Soviet times any child from any family could get involved in sports. I know it well from my own experience. I have been doing sports all my life. Yes, the equipment was primitive, Soviet-made, but it was there. It could be used free of charge."
As for the national projects they will be carried on.
"An amendment to the federal budget is being completed," Mr Putin reminded those present. "I would like to stress that priority funding of the national projects will be ensured, as we agreed earlier."
Mr Putin also said that thanks to the national projects life expectancy in Russia had increased by almost three years. As for the birth rate, in 2008 260,000 more children were born in Russia than three years earlier. This is the highest indicator since 1992.
Alexander Gamov