Love of Vodka is Killing Russian Men: Study

Russian men are dying in droves before their time, primarily due to alcohol poisoning, accidents, violence and disease resulting from heavy alcohol consumption - particularly vodka.

A quarter of all Russian men die before they reach their mid-fifties and their passion for alcohol - particularly vodka - is largely to blame, according to research published on Friday.

A study of more than 150,000 people found extraordinarily high premature death rates among male Russians, some of whom reported drinking three or more bottles a week of the potent clear spirit.

” Yes, vodka is still consumed, and is the drink of choice when making toasts, but I think Russians have become more diverse in their drinking habits.”

When I was in college in early 70’s one of my friends was in the Russian Language club. He was part of a trip that the club sponsored to the Soviet Union. The stories he told when he came back were interesting.

The students went out to a restaurant one evening. There was an older couple at another table waiting for their order. To pass the time the husband went over to a vending machine that dispensed 8 oz. bottles of Vodka. By the time the food arrived he had 2 bottles in him (16 oz) on an empty stomach. He passed out face first in the Stroganoff at which time the waiters picked him up and tossed him into the street face first much to the distress of his wife.

Another time the students came back to their room and there were men going through the luggage. They wanted to call the police but the fellows going through their luggage were the police.

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