If you haven't spent a whole evening in Moscow whiling away the hours and talking with friends over a bottle of fine vodka, then you haven't yet had a real Russian experience. Unfortunately beyond the stereotypes, boisterous celebrations, and cultural role of the country's favorite libation lies a seriously frightening and deadly problem. In the News Blast today you may have seen the links to the new study published by the Lancet on the staggering death toll caused by alcohol consumption in Russia, which found that some 52% of deaths are caused by drinking-related incidents.There are some clear regulatory connections to the problem, as the drinking rates soared once the Soviet era controls were lifted (this is what the Left may refer to as the victims of free markets). Anyways, the Lancet and others are recommending that Russia introduce new controls and/or taxes to curb the problem: "Russia must stop or tax the illicit production of spirits, believed to account for at least 50 per cent of consumption in the country. This in turn means confrontation with organised criminals and corrupt officials."
That shouldn't be a problem - everything done inside the Russian government is a "confrontation with organised criminals and corrupt officials" ...
Then again, I am left wondering why so many people would bother
consuming gutrot illegal booze - which I assume is related to the high
prices and taxes off the shelf. Wouldn't that mean that more taxes
would just cause the black market to flourish? Why no mention of
public subsidies for early prevention, recovery, and awareness programs?
Although certainly not a bellwether of the official line of thought, according to RussiaToday, this is the most healthy country in the world, so let's hope officials don't get their news from the propaganda outlets.
Although certainly not a bellwether of the official line of thought, according to RussiaToday, this is the most healthy country in the world, so let's hope officials don't get their news from the propaganda outlets.
"this is what the Left may refer to as the victims of free markets"
A bit more to it than that. Faced with reform (aka the systematic destruction of every material foundation of a civilized existence, like jobs, incomes, a functioning public health system, etc), and with a drunken, incompetent comprador buffoon setting the national example, millions of Russian men crawled into a bottle and died there. One of the best things about Gorbachev was that he set an example of sobriety. And Putin sets an example of sobriety and athleticism. Medvedev is also always fully in control of himself.
Stuff like this is important.
Faced with reform (aka the systematic destruction of every material foundation of a civilized existence, like jobs, incomes, a functioning public health system, etc), and with a drunken, incompetent comprador buffoon setting the national example, millions of Russian men crawled into a bottle and died there.
I would suppose the long tradition of russian vodka and anecdotal evidence of trade negotiation during soviet times tell us that russians had a problem with alcohol long before Mr. Yeltsin.
It's not "russophobia" to say that Russia is a nation of suicidal drunkerds, it's documented demographic fact. Those who truly hate Russia are those who try to cover up and rationalize these facts rather than demanding reform.
Indeed, the problem of Russian alcoholism antedates Mr Yeltsin's personal encounter with it (if anything, it's the other way round: Mr Yeltsin had a high probability of having problem with the bottle in a country in which this is such a frequent ailment).
I hope the competent authorities will take some measures against that at some point. This is not going to help Russia in the long run.
Phony, Phoby, Phoby.
Alcoholism got worse with "reform", an Color Revolutions like in Ukraine, where population decline is even worse than in Russia.
Russia has a chance, thanks to Putin. Ukraine is finished, thanks to their Western-backed comprador government.