EINNEWS—November 12—It’s not news that Russians drink a lot of vodka. But the full extent of Russia’s problem with alcoholism was made a lot clearer today by a World Health Organization official who estimated that 40% of the population drinks to excess.
In fact, per capita consumption is roughly twice the amount considered WHO’s critical limit.
To combat alcoholism, the government has launched a campaign with a goal of cutting the number of alcoholics in half by 2020.
In addition to alcoholism, heroin is a growing problem in Russia. The estimate is that $1.5 million Russians are hooked on heroin. According to official records, 30,000 people die of heroin overdoses each year.
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