Belarus drops in rating of drinking countries
Ales Zaleuski. belsat.eu
18 June 2018, 18:21
Belarusians are now drinking less, researchers of the World Health Organization report. According to the report, we do not even enter the 20 most drinking countries, even though not so long ago Belarus was the world leader and occupied the second position of the sad rating.
But not all Belarusians share the optimism of foreign researchers.
Residents of Minsk:
“They buy cheap wines with less alcohol, since strong alcohol is very expensive.”
Compared to 2010, the official statistics claims, per capita consumption went down by 6 liters of alcohol.
“Young people have become more intelligent, that’s for sure.”
And this is at least one of the reasons. Experts note the same dynamics of decreasing consumption among our neighbors — Ukraine and Russia. They dropped to 33 and 26th place, respectively.
Residents of Minsk:
On the one hand, salaries have gone down, on the other — the authorities have been little by little, but regularly, raising the bar of minimum price of vodka and fortified wines. Rehab centers for alcohol addicts said that hot lines staff answered an average of 10 calls a day, now it is twice or three times less.
However, the number of tragic accidents from alcohol consumption is completely disappointing. Over the last 5 months, 600 people died from alcohol poisoning and 6 thousand crimes were committed under the influence.
18 June 2018, 18:21
But not all Belarusians share the optimism of foreign researchers.
Residents of Minsk:
“After all, prices went up. Do you drink? Well, symbolically. Not more than 5 vodka bottles per day.”
“They buy cheap wines with less alcohol, since strong alcohol is very expensive.”
Compared to 2010, the official statistics claims, per capita consumption went down by 6 liters of alcohol.
“Young people have become more intelligent, that’s for sure.”
And this is at least one of the reasons. Experts note the same dynamics of decreasing consumption among our neighbors — Ukraine and Russia. They dropped to 33 and 26th place, respectively.
Residents of Minsk:
“If people do drink, it’s bars, restaurants, it’s becoming more cultured.”
“I think life has become more expensive, and this is a major trump card.”
On the one hand, salaries have gone down, on the other — the authorities have been little by little, but regularly, raising the bar of minimum price of vodka and fortified wines. Rehab centers for alcohol addicts said that hot lines staff answered an average of 10 calls a day, now it is twice or three times less.
However, the number of tragic accidents from alcohol consumption is completely disappointing. Over the last 5 months, 600 people died from alcohol poisoning and 6 thousand crimes were committed under the influence.
