The average Russian drinks 17 litres of spirit every year, the Russian Public Chamber says in a report.
According to the report alcohol is involved in some 80% of murders and 40% of suicides in Russia, RIA Novostireports. “Every year in modern Russia, alcohol abuse kills around half a million people,” the report stated, adding that the quality of the alcohol was not a major factor in the deaths.
In comparison, the average person in Finland drinks 12,5 litres of spirit annually, while a Norwegian drinks half of that; six litres of spirits.
Norway has some of the highest taxes on alcohol in the world, and now the Finnish authorities have decided to increase the taxes on alcohol for the second year in a row, this time 10 percent up, reports NRK Sami Radio.
