Tag: alcohol consumption in Russia

The most important thing about the President Vladimir Putin’s address to the Federation Council is what he didn’t say: some say the speech was the most boring of his 13 such addresses to date, and he refrained from the anti-Ukrainian and anti-American rhetoric that had informed his earlier remarks.

Staunton, November 23 Even though Russians represent less than three percent of the world’s population, one of every six alcohol-related deaths in the world occurs within the borders of the Russian Federation, a figure that means Russia is overrepresented in this category by more than 500 percent. But as tragic as that figure is, the […]

Staunton, April 15 – In its continuing quest for ways to get Russians to stop drinking, the Russian health ministry has called for alcohol to be sold only in special stores rather than, as now, in many ordinary groceries and shops, an arrangement it says has “shown its effectiveness” in many countries but one that […]

Staunton, February 1 – Vladimir Putin has clearly learned the lesson some of his predecessors did not: when times are tough, boosting alcohol prices is a good way to trigger a social explosion. But his decision to cut the price of the cheapest vodka — which went into effect February 1 — is a recipe […]