IGOR EFREMOV SPEAKS ON ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION SHRINKAGE IN RUSSIA IN HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE “EVENING MOSCOW” DAILY

On July 14, Igor Efremov, researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s International Research Department of Political Demography and Macrodynamics, gave an interview to the “Evening Moscow” daily, where the ongoing reduction of alcohol consumption in Russia was discussed.

Igor Efremov noted that the alcohol consumption reduction in Russia had been a long-term trend. It was mainly caused by a change of generations. Young Russians are less likely to drink alcohol than their parents’ generation. At the same time, there has been a shift in the alcohol consumption structure in favor of low-alcohol drinks, which contributes to an increase in life expectancy.

Also, Russia displays a higher northeastern mortality gradient, which has to do, among other things, with alcohol consumption patterns. In the regions of Russia’s North and East, people drink more alcohol, including strong liquor, while in the western and southern regions the alcohol consumption level is lower, and the share of low-alcohol beverages in its structure is larger.