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Bad Vodka
When in Russia, avoid the samogon. With Putin having tripled the price of vodka while in office, Russians have been turning to this black market moonshine as an alcohol-delivering alternative. As the BBC reports, however, samogon is also called “the yellow death,” and for good reason. Drinkers of samogon — which the BBC correspondent says has a bouquet of “rocket fuel with a touch of boot polish” and which may contain a medical disinfectant as an additive — turn “a vile shade of yellow,” succumb to liver disease, and, in some cases, die. Some estimate as many as “10,000 poison cases and 1,000 dead” around the country.
An interesting and horrifying glimpse into the other Russia.
3 Responses to “Bad Vodka”
Will they start watching NASCAR and the “Dukes of Hazzard”? So much for shock and awe in economics.
Alcoholism in Russia is a huge, huge problem. Above the usual effects in private lives, businessmen have a hard time assembling workers. It’s impossible to know how many will show up and how many will stay home sleeping it off.
Russia is destroying itself, disintegrating and imploding.
That nation’s demographic decline is not only due to plunging birth rates (seen in other countries) but an increase in death rates to where it’s similar to some Third World nations. Alcoholism, AIDS from drug-use needle contamination, violent criminal deaths…it’s bad.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/issue_papers/IP162/index2.html
Vodka and the Demographic Crisis
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/07/15/006.html
Demographic Consequence of Mortality Reversal [increase] in Russia
http://iussp2005.princeton.edu/download.aspx?submissionId=51271
Russia, the Sick Man of Europe
http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.21711,filter.all/pub_detail.asp
Alcoholism and Rising Mortality…
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/310/6980/648