Moscow
Nearly half of Russian men who die between age 25 and 54 are killed by alcohol, a new study shows. Those most likely to die of alcohol poisoning or cirrhosis of the liver are the poor, who can’t afford vodka and often drink home-brewed liquor or antiseptic, perfume, and other products containing alcohol. Russians drink more than any other people in the world, and they have a culture of binge drinking. The national alcoholism problem is also fueling crime: Nearly three-fourths of murders are alcohol-related. “Men and women drink in Russia because they don’t have any spiritual goals,” Saviley Vlasov, a recovering alcoholic, told the London Guardian. “They have nothing to live for.”
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