Just yesterday we published a story where we condemned Russian society for its ills, one of them being heavy drinking. Today what a surprise, we see Putin acknowledging this problem and seeking ways to fix it.
Instead of enacting restrictive laws, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin stated on Wednesday that the government should promote healthy alternatives to excessive alcohol consumption.
“You cannot restrict it or impose extremely high excise charges to raise prices,” Putin said in a video meeting with a Russian governor on Wednesday, adding that ignoring the matter and stating “people drink and they always will” is also incorrect.
There are “simple things” that may be done to successfully address the issue, according to Putin, such as promoting healthier lives and providing healthier alternatives for people to spend their spare time.
“I’m not saying anything original here, but…” It is critical to promote a healthy way of life. But it’s not enough. “There must be a strong infrastructure for sports and physical training,” the president stated.
“And culture in general requires attention. Create opportunities for people to visit locations and develop their interest in culture,” he continued.
The issue arose when the president stated to Aleksandr Avdeev, Governor of the central Russian Vladimir Region, that his constituency’s alcoholism rate is double the national average.
Alcohol consumption has a long history in Russia, and taxing vodka and other spirits has been a convenient way for the government to replenish its coffers for decades. However, according to the World Health Organization, national consumption has decreased dramatically in the recent decade (WHO).
According to a 2021 report by the European office of the WHO’s SAFER initiative, dedicated at fighting alcohol misuse, Russia showed a 26.1% fall in estimated per-capita consumption between 2010 and 2016, compared to the region’s average 12.5% decrease. Also according to statistics, Russia is the second heaviest consumer of alcohol in all of Europe, trailing Belarus.
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