Russian Alcohol Consumption Down 9 Percent Since 2009

By The Moscow Times

Jan. 19, 2016

Russians consume about 9 percent less alcohol than they did in 2009, Russia's consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said in statement on its website on Monday.

In 2009, an average Russian drank 9.1 liters of pure alcohol per year, while in 2014 the average amount had decreased to 8.3 liters, according to the statement.

Despite the positive trend, 33 percent of young men and 20 percent of young women in Russia drink alcoholic beverages every day or almost every day, the watchdog noted in the statement.

The number of alcohol-related deaths in Russia also decreased between 2009 and 2014, Rospotrebnadzor said.

However, alcohol abuse still results in almost half a million deaths a year, according to the statement.

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