MOSCOW, December 23 (RAPSI) - President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill which toughens the criminal and administrative liability for inducing children and teenagers to drink alcoholic beverages into law. The law also increases the fines for violating the rules for selling alcohol to minors by several times.

A document to this effect was published on the official legal information website on Monday.

The law amends Article 151 of the Criminal Code, which imposes the liability for inducing the under-aged to drink alcoholic products regularly, including beer and beer-based drinks. These kinds of violations will be punished by two to six years imprisonment.

The law also stipulates fines of up to 3,000 rubles ($91) for inducing minors to drink alcoholic products. Parents will be fined up to 5,000 rubles ($152) for this violation.

According to the law, the fine for selling alcohol to minors will be increased to 15,000 rubles ($455) from 5,000 rubles for officials and to 300,000 rubles ($9,097) from 50,000 rubles ($1,516) for legal entities.

The fines for drinking alcohol beverages or being drunk in public places will be increased to 1,500 rubles ($45.5) from 300 rubles.