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Journalism of Courage
This one didnt fall out of Gogols Great Coat. But the truth behind the old stereotype of Russians as incorrigible drunkards,what President Medvedev has called a national disaster Russias pervasive,and perhaps near-apocalyptic,nemesis in the bottle beggars the myth. Thirty-five thousand Russians die every year from alcohol poisoning; probably higher than from road deaths. And drunk driving causes one in every three deaths of Russian men below retirement age.
But it is not,as William Pokhlyobkin author of the controversial A History of Vodka would agree,vodka itself but irresponsible consumption of vodka thats guilty. What most poor Russians,who cannot afford certified vodka,drink and there are many is anything from window-cleaning fluids,de-icers,etc to anti-rust solutions sold as bootlegged vodka. The most desperate will consume any kind of poison in a bottle with full knowledge. Thats why,neither the restrictions on the price of vodka that came into effect on January 1 nor Medvedevs hope for a New Year resolution about alcoholism raises much hope. For one,a subtext of Russian history is the states failed attempts to curb alcoholism. Mikhail Gorbachev tried it last,reducing vodka production and banning its sale before
Medvedev has taken a tough political call. Russians consume almost 18 litres of pure alcohol a year on average; and if alcoholism can be tackled the long-term improvements in public health and life expectancy can only help an economy plagued by a depleting population. But,given disasters like that of October 2006 when about 900 people in 14 towns in a Siberian region were hospitalised with liver failure after supposedly drinking industrial solvent its a long,hard climb. No wonder,unconvinced doctors say the price restrictions are,at most,just a small step.
