Alcohol in Russia

Alcohol consumption in Russia remains among the highest in the world. According to a 2011 report by the World Health Organization, annual per capita consumption of alcohol in Russia was about 15.76 litres of pure alcohol, the fourth-highest volume in Europe.[1] It dropped to 11.7 litres in 2016,[2] dropping further to about 10.5 litres in 2019.[3] Another general trait of Russian alcohol consumption pattern was the high volume of spirits compared with other alcoholic drinks (such as beer or red wine).[4][5]

Russia currently implements a variety of anti-alcoholism measures (banning spirits and beer trade at night, raising taxes, banning the advertising of alcohol). According to medical officials, these policies have resulted in a considerable fall of alcohol consumption volumes, to 13.5 litres by 2013, with wine and beer overtaking spirits as the main source of beverage alcohol.[6] These levels are comparable with European Union averages. Alcohol producers claim that falling legal consumption is accompanied by growth in sales of illegally produced drink.[7]

High volumes of alcohol consumption have serious negative effects on Russia's social fabric and bring political, economic and public health ramifications. Alcoholism has been a problem throughout the country's history because drinking is a pervasive, socially acceptable behaviour in Russian society[4][5] and alcohol has also been a major source of government revenue for centuries. It has repeatedly been targeted as a major national problem,[8] with mixed results. Alcoholism in Russia has, according to some authors, acquired a character of a national disaster[9][10] and has the scale of a humanitarian catastrophe.[11]

  1. ^ "Global stat" (PDF). 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  2. ^ "Россияне и алкоголь" [Russians and alcohol] (in Russian). Journal.tinkoff.ru. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  3. ^ "Alcohol, total per capita (15+) consumption (in litres of pure alcohol) (SDG Indicator 3.5.2)". WHO Global Health Observatory. September 20, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Korotayev, Andrey; Khalturina, Darya (2008). "Russian Demographic Crisis in Cross-National Perspective". Russia and Globalization: Identity, Security, and Society in an Era of Change. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. doi:10.13140/2.1.1452.9600.
  5. ^ a b Khaltourina, D. A.; Korotayev, A. V. (2008). "Potential for alcohol policy to decrease the mortality crisis in Russia". Evaluation & the Health Professions. 31 (3): 272–281. doi:10.1177/0163278708320160. PMID 18662923. S2CID 21990994.
  6. ^ "Россияне стали меньше пить". October 17, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  7. ^ "Анализ алкогольного рынка в 2013 году - рост и падение". RosInvest. March 19, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  8. ^ "Each of 7 million Russian alcoholics drinks 27 liters of alcohol a year". Pravda. November 9, 2006.
  9. ^ Заграев Г. Г. Алкоголизм и пьянство в России. Пути выхода из кризисной ситуации //Социологические исследования, № 8, Август 2009, C. 74-84
  10. ^ Пьянство ставит крест на будущем России // Утро, 05 октября 2009 по материалам ООН: Россия перед лицом демографических вызовов Archived 2014-12-01 at the Wayback Machine — М., ПРООН, 2009, 208 страниц
  11. ^ Халтурина Д. А., Коротаев А. В. Алкогольная катастрофа и возможности государственной политики в Преодоление алкогольной сверхсмертности в России Archived 2013-10-14 at the Wayback Machine М., ЛЕНАНД, 2008, 376 страниц ISBN 978-5-9710-0195-9