Man Dies After Winning Vodka-Drinking Contest

http://www.reuters.com ^ | Wed November 19, 2003 09:36 AM ET | Reuters 2003

[luv2ndamend]

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A vodka-drinking competition in a southern Russian town ended in tragedy with the winner dead and several runners-up in intensive care. "The competition lasted 30, perhaps 40 minutes and the winner downed three half-liter bottles. He was taken home by taxi but died within 20 minutes," said Roman Popov, a prosecutor pursuing the case in the town of Volgodonsk.

"Five contestants ended up in intensive care. Those not in hospital turned up the next day, ostensibly for another drink."

Popov said the director of the shop organizing this month's contest had been charged with manslaughter. He had offered 10 liters of vodka to the competitor drinking the most in the shortest time.

Russians drink the equivalent of 15 liters of pure alcohol per head annually, one of the highest rates in the world. Some experts estimate one in seven Russians is an alcoholic.

© Reuters 2003. All Rights Reserved.

[TexRef]

He was taken home by taxi...

Another MADD success story!

[Pagey]

"THATS .823 BAC folks, and that is one drunk motherfu*ker".

Hell,even though he's dead that even 'one ups' Bon Scott AND John Bonham in merely half an hour. I wonder if the spouse will claim (what was to be)the prize,that would be rather bold.

[RussianConservative]

Consider that last year Vodka only make 13% of total sale of Alcohol and over 70% is beer...I say these statistics old and stereo-typical.

[Calvin Locke]

... matter of genes in some people (think "Keith Richard")

I think of Ted Kennedy, myself. In the other end, Mickey Mantle.

[Pagey]

The only place I spend more time than F.R. is http://www.moderndrunkardmagazine.com .The articles regarding Booze are humorous beyond belief and they have great shirts too!

[finnman69]

"In MOST and possibly ALL states you would be considered intoxicated and arrested for DUI."

http://javascript.internet.com/calculators/bac.html

LOLOLOL, I guess there is no cutoff where it changes to "In MOST and possibly ALL states you would be likely dead."

[Constitutional Patriot]

"Popov"

Man...talk about bad nemesakes...Popov is one of teh cheapest vodkas available. It is made in Clifton, NJ and is bottled in plastic containers....I think one shot of this crap would have yielded the same results as the tragedy in Moscow!

[xp38]

That's the gist of it. Drinking alcohol is one big continuum from mild stimulaton at the first glass to death by alcohol poisoning which is what happened to this guy. We don't hear too much about alcohol poisoning but if you just keep on drinking without giving your body time to deal with it and you basically die. The amount varies from individual to individual but by the time you reach a stage of drunkeness it's a warning to back off.

[Maria S]

"I don't understand how a supposedly good God can allow things like this to happen to people."

You meant this as sarcasm...right?

[luv2ndamend]

something interesting. LOL

Vodka gene discovered in Russians

A Russian man can drink ten times as much as a European can. This is not just a thing to say, it has been scientifically proved. The scientists of the Russian University for national friendship found out that this peculiarity of Russian people was explained with the so-called Asian gene.

A human being with such a gene gets drunk ten times as slower, constantly having the not-yet-enough feeling, while drinking. However, the gene does not save anyone from alcohol poisoning. Its production in a human organism, which has the Asian gene, is ten times as faster too. This explains why Russian people die of alcohol more often than other nations do.

Pursuant to the information from the Moscow Psychiatric Research Institute, Russia takes one of the top places in the world in terms of the alcohol consumption. Vodka is the queen of Russian strong drinks, but its history is not really long. Alcohol appeared in Russia only in the 14th century, whereas the alcohol history of Europe counts thousands of years.

Delfi

[Dan from Michigan]

winner downed three half-liter bottles

Holy #@^^.

[Spirited]

I suspect it may. They are freer over there in many ways.
Here the government would step in an exercise it's powers.

We have a pc and legal battle if we voice many things we think these days. Jim cannot possibly allow us to say what used to be able to be said even here. This is not true in many European nations.

For 40 years I have called our local newspaper (The Washington Post) "The Moscow Gazette". These days, however, Russian newspapers print more truth than our media sees fit to print.

[luv2ndamend]

I do agree with you. I just did a search on google and this was an article I found.

[King Prout]

What color flame does vodka burn with?
pale blue, I believe

[King Prout]

ya nevah know... she might consider it a good trade.

[BlueNgold]

Can you spell D-A-R-W-I-N ??

[Spok]

The guy was better off-imagine the hangover he avoided!

[Arthur McGowan]

Bingo! Note the OTHER replies from Freepers who apparently are unable to detect sarcasm.

[ppaul]

Thanks for the link!

[Feiny]

I love that site also. I have spent WAY too much time there!