Experts are attributing a sharp drop in the number of deaths from alcohol poisoning in Russia to the unseasonably warm winter.
Some 619 people died from alcohol poisoning in January 2020, down 37.3% from January 2019, Russia’s National Center for Alcohol Policy Development said Thursday. The past winter was the warmest since records began in 1891, Russia’s Hydrometeorology Center announced the same day.
Russia’s consumer protection union said the mild winter played a key role in that drop, Interfax reported. Union leader Pavel Shapkin said there is a direct correlation between an increase in temperatures and a decline in alcohol consumption.
“An average 10-degree temperature rise above normal reduces the burden of alcohol on the population’s health by the same 10 degrees,” Shapkin told Interfax.
“As a result, the negative outcomes of alcohol consumption have dramatically decreased,” Shapkin was quoted as saying.
The consumer protection union previously reported a slight decline in vodka sales between 2019 and 2018.
Russia’s 40% decline in alcohol consumption, though still some of the world’s highest, has contributed to Russia’s rapid rise in life expectancy, the World Health Organization said last year.
Alcohol consumption fell in the mid-1980s under the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev-led campaign, though rates skyrocketed after the Soviet collapse in 1991.
Russia has introduced several measures to cut down on alcohol consumption under President Vladimir Putin, including a sales ban after 11 p.m., minimum retail price increases for spirits and an advertising blackout.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
