MOSCOW, October 1 - RAPSI. Courts in Russia have invalidated about 42,000 driver licenses issued to alcohol- and drug-addicted individuals as of 2010, the Prosecutor General's Office reports on Monday.

Earlier, investigations conducted by prosecutors nationwide revealed that thousands of individuals possessing valid drivers' licenses had also been registered officially as "alcoholics."

In Russia, registered alcoholics are not legally entitled to receive a driver's license. The prosecutors referred to the court to invalidate contested licenses. The government has paid special attention to the issue after numerous recent car accidents involving alcoholics. A man driving under the influence rammed into a bus stop in Moscow on September 22, killing seven people, including five children from an orphanage, their teacher, and her husband.