Alcohol consumption per person in Russia has decreased by over 33 per cent since 2009 as a result of anti-alcoholic efforts, a news report said on Tuesday.
The report, attributed to Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor), stated that “the annual alcohol consumption per person has dropped from 15 liters in 2009 to 10 liters now.”
According to Rospotrebnadzor, the positive changes are due to implementation of measures, including the ban on alcohol advertising.
The positive changes involved setting up minimum price for alcohol products and minimum age on alcohol consumption, as well as restrictions on retail distribution.
The statistics also showed that since 2009, the number of acute poisonings with alcohol containing products dropped by 30 per cent.
It noted that for the first time, patients under medical supervision with the diagnosis of alcoholism decreased by almost 37 percent.
Rospotrebnadzor noted that the number of patients with alcoholism who were registered in health care organizations also fell by 24 per cent.
Alcohol consumption in Russia is still dangerous, as it surpasses the eight-liter-per-person standard suggested by World Health Organisation.
To continue preventing and reducing alcoholism in the country, Rospotrebnadzor stressed the need to promote healthy lifestyles and support relevant organizations.
It said there was the need to set legislative restrictions on retail trade, ban latent advertising and abolish wine and beer festivals.
On Dec. 17, 2016, a mass poisoning by Boyaryshnik, an alcohol-containing liquid, started in Irkutsk.
Investigators opened a criminal case on the manufacturing, storage, and sale of the product, which they said did not meet safety requirements.
Rospotrebnadzor noted that a total of 120 people suffered from methanol poisoning during this period, with 11 of them remaining in hospital.