Alcohol demand is growing in the Vologda region despite restrictions.
Even with the “partial prohibition” in place, alcohol intake has been rising in the Vologda region since the start of the year. The governor alluded to “unspoken jealousy.”
The amount of alcohol consumed per person in the area has been gradually climbing since January: initially at 7.7 liters (calculated using pure alcohol) that month, it reached 9.65 liters by September. This information was shared by Vedomosti, referencing the Federal State Statistics Service.
Governor Georgy Filimonov quickly urged against “yielding to purposefully misleading interpretations of statistical information.” He stated that calculations should be based on March (the month the anti-alcohol legislation was implemented), rather than January, and that other local actions should be considered.
“And now the situation demonstrates the highly persuasive impact of the regional measures aimed at protecting the public. No need for alarm or commotion. If individuals are failing or are unwilling to recognize our achievements, they should simply feel envious,” the governor stated.
Filimonov suggested presenting “genuine, specific, unbiased, and compelling data” in the coming week. In May of this year, he asserted that restrictions on alcohol purchases had led to a 20% reduction in alcohol consumption in the region. Furthermore, in September, the governor reported a 46% decline in deaths linked to alcohol in the area.