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Alcohol consumption in Russia (statistics), alcoholism in Rus., and Russian marriages
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Posted by: Khashyar

Hi Everyone...

I don't want to harp or over-emphasize" Russia's alcohol consumption rate-- I just want to provide facts for everyone so that we might be able to understand more about Russia and the Russia's current social environment...

Khashyar

*****

RUSSIAN CABINET UNEASY AS DRINKING SKYROCKETS
from "Johnson's Russia List "
Feb. 19, 2003:
#1 - JRL 7067

MOSCOW, February 18 /from RIA Novosti's Andrei Malosolov/ - Heavy drinking is getting ever worse as national vice, and causes grave concern of the Russian government. Official statistics evaluate annual per capita alcohol consumption at 8.4 litres, and unofficial 14-as against an average 3.5 in the Soviet years, said Alexei Gordeyev, Deputy Prime Minister, as he was summing up a government commission session for the media.

Prospects for closer government regulation of distilling and the alcoholic beverage market may be offered to the State Council for debates, he added.

The situation demands a federal concept of public protection, insists Mr. Gordeyev-complete with a healthy living campaign and thorough beverage quality monitoring. The latter issue is all the more topical as alcoholic beverages imply superprofits, stressed the vice-premier.

Posted by: Khashyar

Hi Tasha and Sean...

Thank you very much for your messages, and thank you very much for your statistics on alcohol consumption in Russia...

I was surprised to see that there were 13 countries where people, on average, drank more per year than people in Russia do.

I can appreciate and understand what you are saying, Tasha, that alcohol consumption varies in different parts of Russia.

Also, I think that a country's average consumption of alcohol and the rate of alcoholism, can be different. For example, I see that Sweden is #35 in alcohol consumption in the world, but at least when I visited Sweden in 1997, I was told by some people (and also read at least one newspaper article) that told me that alcoholism was a problem in Sweden. (Perhaps that partly due to different perceptions of what a societal problem with alcohol is)...

I read in a CNN news article, which I posted here in this same general forum section, that in Russia, "Studies indicate that at least 30 percent of men and 15 percent of women are addicted to alcohol." I wonder where they exactly received there statistics for this, but I tend to believe the stats because even the Russian government, and the World Health Organization believe that Russian society in general has problems with alcohol...

But, I understand that the rate of alcohol consumption in Russia varies from region to region, and even perhaps beween large cities and less populated areas.

However, if it is true that 30 percent of Russian men are addicted to alcohol (and 15% of Russian women), then this could cause problems in Russian society, as well as in Russian relationships and marriages. If we accept this 30% of Russian men are addicted to alcohol stat, then this means that, on average, 3 out of 10 Russian men in your town or city, or who live in your neighborhood, are addicted to alcohol... This seems like a large number of men who have alcohol problems, and I can see, then, why many Russian women are saying that Russian men drink too much, because these women see 30% of men around them who have trouble with alcohol....

I wonder of someone else could find some stats about the rate of alcoholism in Russia and other countries... Those stats would be useful in developing this topic further and receiving some further answers...

But, I hear what you are saying, Tasha, that you really don't feel that Russian men (or alcoholism) are the real reasons why Russian women are wanting to leave Russia and marry abroad... And I respect your position on this..... I want to start another thread about "Why Russian women are leaving Russia and seeking foreign men abroad," and I would love to hear your opinions about this....

Thanks for sharing your opinions and feedback in this thread...

Khashyar

Posted by: Jutman

You forget, that this the official statisctic.

In Russia they make a lot at home. Something never see the a shop and is out of the statisctics.

Since maybe 70% of the Russian population are strugglig, my feeling is that these 70% but from non registrated produceres.

I asked Nata and her family, if they knew about this. Yes, of course they know places where to get it.

Khas
You mentioned Sweden. because its difficult to get AND very expensive*, there a lot of moon shining over there. With fatal results (like getting blind).

A regular cost like 1,60 USD. You can get it cheaper, but then its light beer with around 3Ѕ% alcohol. (US way to calculate 3,6% where a normal has 5,0%)

Posted by: Khashyar

That's interesting, Brian...

I didn't realize that there was a lot of moonshine in Sweden... That's very interesting.

It is true that some (or many) Russians make their own vodka...

Lena's father makes his own homemade vodka, and I tried some when I was in Belarus and it was very strong

He even showed me his home-made moonshine still...

I am sure that many people make their own vodka in Russia, but I don't know how many...

Khashyar