Russia’s Impending Drink Catastrophe

Drinking away the Pain (2003): More and more Russians are turning to drink to help numb the pain of post-Soviet life. Russians consume over half the world’s hard liqueur. Vodka is often cheaper than non-alcoholic drinks and beer is marketed as a soft drink. As a result, alcoholism has reached record levels, pushing down life expectancies for Russian men to just 58. “As a rule, the Russian drinks until he falls. Some continue drinking even when they’re lying down,“ explains one man. Unfortunately there are