The alcohol in Russia: public opinion myths and reality

• Main Author: Nelly A. Romanovich
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology 2015-09-01
• Series: Социологический журнал
• Online Access: http://jour.fnisc.ru/upload/journals/1/articles/2378/submission/proof/2378-61-7677-1-10-20160330.pdf

The addiction of Russians to alcoholic beverages is known throughout the world. However this addiction is a consequence of a habit, whereas first steps of getting acquainted with alcohol usually have quite plausible excuse, which appears in fact to be myths. The article reveals seven myths about vodka which are popular in Russian society. The results of public opinion polls that show the degree of the population commitment to these myths with a difference of ten years, 2003–2004 — 2014 (the respondents taken as example are residents of the city of Voronezh). Voronezh is a typical large Russian city, so the changes in public opinion of Voronezh citizens reflect nationwide changes. The author shows that the decline in the consumption of vodka in Russia in recent years is connected with discrediting of the existing myths about the benefits of vodka in certain circumstances.Russia has taken measures aimed at reducing alcohol consumption per capita. In recent years these measures in conjunction with the changes in economic and cultural life of Russians have been successful. Manufacturers of alcohol facing falling profitability and fighting for survival have reduced the retail price of vodka in order to struggle against illegal substitutes, including moonshine. But the moonshine depending on the technology of its preparation can be either dangerous to health or relatively harmless spirits. Ambiguous attitude to the moonshine is confirmed by the results of opinion polls. The author proves that the sharp rise in demand for moonshine in recent years is not only due to its low cost, but also because of the low quality of alcohol products on store shelves.