MOSCOW, November 14 - RAPSI. State Duma Committee on Security and Combating Corruption head Irina Yarovaya has submitted amendments to the State Duma to the legislation which increases liability for using weapons while intoxicated, as well as raising the age for buying weapons from 18 to 21.

Last Wednesday, after a five-day drinking binge, Dmitry Vinogradov opened fire from two semi-automatic shotguns at his colleagues while they were sitting at their desks. Five died during the attack, while a sixth died in hospital. In response to this shocking event, the Interior Ministry announced that the regulations for selling weapons to citizens should be toughened.

Analysis and reports have shown that 25 percent of cases of illegal use of civil and service weapons are committed while being intoxicated.

A bill has therefore been proposed which imposes a ban on intoxicated individuals carrying weapons and a ban on carry weapons of limited destruction at educational and medical institutions, as well as at public eating places which sell alcohol.

In addition, the age at which a Russian citizen will be allowed to purchase smoothbore long-barreled guns, civil weapons of limited destruction, sporting and signal weapons, and cold weapons worn with national Russian costume or Cossack uniform, will be increased from 18 to 21 years.

The Interior Ministry reported that there are 1,053 registered legal entities in Russia trading service and civil weapons; over five million citizens own 6.2 million firing weapons, including 729,000 weapons of limited destruction.