Russia's new policy on drugs aims to keep people proven to be in possession of small amounts of illegal psychoactive substances out of prison. According to Oleg Zykov, a member of Putin's Human Rights Commission and president of the non-governmental organisation No To Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, this represents a liberalisation of thinking and is a revolution of sorts, for until now people accused of possessing small amounts of drugs have been punished extremely harshly in Russia.

Under the new policy, possession of up to 10 doses of an illegal substance for personal use is to be punishable by a fine only (it has been established that 10 doses of heroin is equivalent to 1g of heroin, 1.5g of cocaine and 20g of cannabis).

Addiction treatment specialists claim that the new policy will reduce overcrowding in prisons and thus also the spread of infectious diseases.