Russia: Analysts say Russians drink 50% more strong alcoholic beverages than wine and beer

The consumption of strong alcoholic beverages in Russia is 50% higher than wine and beer, 800% higher than that of wine, Pyotr Kanygin, head of the subcommittee of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for ethyl alcohol production and sale, told November 03 to Interfax.

He attributed the statistics to the change in the correlation of the prices of vodka and wines. "While in Soviet times the ratio of the prices of vodka and wine was 3:1, presently it is 1:1," he said. This has changed the structure of the consumption of alcoholic beverages, spurring the consumption of strong alcohol, he said.

Kanygin said that 7% of consumers could afford to buy expensive strong alcohol, 52% - inexpensive officially distilled alcohol, and 33% - unofficially distilled alcohol of good quality. "The remaining 8% choose alcohol-containing surrogates and it is the consumption of these goods that causes massive poisoning," he said.

10 November, 2006