Turkmenistan is one of the countries in the former Soviet Union that has taken serious measures to combat alcoholism, the UN reports, referring to the WHO European office.
Experts note that for many centuries, the CIS countries, especially in Eastern Europe, have been characterized by a high level of alcoholism among the population for centuries, and even today many residents of the region continue to drink alcohol. The CIS Countries-Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - have taken this issue seriously.
In particular, these countries have increased excise taxes on alcoholic beverages. Alcohol advertising was regulated, physical access to retail outlets was restricted, so there was no way to "buy a bottle" in any corner.
This strategy has already paid off. Only for the period from 2010 to 2016, alcohol consumption per capita decreased throughout the region, and by 2025, the CIS countries can reduce alcohol consumption by 10 %, the WHO European office said.
WHO suggests that other countries in the European region actively implement anti-alcohol practices in the CIS, because in 30 European countries, despite the measures taken, the scale of drunkenness has not decreased. In the region, 290 thousand people die every year from the consequences of excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. In the European Union, as well as in Norway and Switzerland, there are more than two bottles of wine a week per capita for people over the age of 15. But this is an average figure, and if you exclude non-drinkers from it, it will be three bottles per person. This amount of alcohol, according to doctors, is dangerous for health.
