Russian alcohol consumption decreased by 43% from 2003 to 2016, a World Health Organization (WHO) report says. It attributed the decline to a series of alcohol-control measures implemented by the state, and a push towards healthy lifestyles.

The WHO said the drop in alcohol consumption was linked to a significant rise in life expectancy. It noted that Russia had previously been considered one of the heaviest-drinking countries in the world. “Alcohol consumption has long been recognised as one of the main driving factors of mortality in the Russian Federation, especially among men of working age,” the report said.

But from 2003 to 2018, alcohol consumption and mortality decreased, with the most significant changes occurring in causes of death linked to alcohol. In 2018, life expectancy in Russia reached a historic peak, at 68 years for men and 78 years for women.(BBC)…[+]