I’ve heard horror stories about USSR too. So many of them, and USSR itself was massive in land mass - North and South.
Can also tell you that in the Bahamas, for example, the gov’t tended to hand out bottles & cases of rum to people before general elections, in the 1980s and 1990s. Not sure if it is still the case - have no reason to believe it isn’t.
In Iran, over the last 35 years, the mullahs say they imprison and execute drug dealers, yet there are so many drug addicts - one doesn’t know where to start. Alcohol is forbidden of course; BUT, Most are deliberately given & encouraged to be on drugs; mostly opium, but meth, etc.. too. Even within the regime itself, there are regular opium consumers.
In Australia, there is a clear and excessive alcohol consumption problem. To the credit of the gov’ts & over the years, they increasingly designated certain ‘family-oriented’ public places as “alcohol-free” zones - even in affluent suburbs in cities like Sydney - you can see public signs. This is something that I had never seen until last, maybe, 10 years in Australia. But gov’t had to control it, because it has been and still is a real *cultural* problem.
I can go on about Scandinavian countries & alcohol too.
If I’m not mistaken, Russia still has its highest death rate from alcohol related consumption - it seems definitely & primarily a cultural problem? Does the current federal gov’t in Russia encourage it?
Russian government just reduced the price of vodka.
They are really worried there in the Kremlin.