ALCOHOLISM CONTINUES TO BE A HUGE PROBLEM IN RUSSIA, AND SOME
OF THE MORE IMPOVERISHED PEOPLE LIVING IN THE COUNTRY ARE
RESORTING TO BATHROOM PRODUCTS JUST TO GET DRUNK.
AS A RESULT, PEOPLE ARE DYING FROM ALCOHOL POISONING, OR FROM
TOXIC CHEMICALS, AND THE LATEST EXAMPLE INVOLVES NEARLY 50
PEOPLE WHO DIED FROM DRINKING BATH OIL IN A SIBERIAN CITY.
"AUTHORITIES HAVE DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN A SIBERIAN
CITY AFTER AT LEAST 49 PEOPLE DIED OF ALCOHOL POISONING AFTER
DRINKING A BATH OIL THEY HOPED WOULD GIVE THEM THE SAME BUZZ AS
ALCOHOL."
AN ADDITIONAL 50 PEOPLE WERE IN CRITICAL CONDITION IN
HOSPITALS IN THIS TOWN.
THE BATH OIL BOTTLES WERE LABELED AS CONTAINING ETHYL
ALCOHOL.
THE PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN METHYL ALCOHOL, AN ANTIFREEZE.
A STUDY PUBLISHED IN 2014 ASKED 150,000 RUSSIANS HOW MUCH
VODKA THEY DRANK, THEN FOLLOWED THEM UP FOR A DECADE,
DURING WHICH 8000 DIED.
SO THAT SHOWS HOW MUCH VODKA THEY DRINK.
AND IT'S NOT LIKE PEOPLE DON'T DRINK A LOT IN THE UK.
PEOPLE JOKE AROUND ABOUT HOW MUCH THE RUSSIANS DRINK,
YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
IN THE 20 YEARS, OVER 20 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN DOING THE NEWS,
I'VE NEVER HEARD OF A GOOD STORY COMING OUT OF THIS TOWN.
IT'S USUALLY LIKE, A METEOR LANDED AND WIPED OUT HALF THE
TOWN.
YOU'RE RIGHT, AND I DO KNOW THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PARTICULAR
ISSUE, A COMMON FACTOR IS POVERTY.
WHEN PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH SEVERE POVERTY, THEY WANT TO
ESCAPE, AND ONE OF THE WAYS THEY ESCAPE IS THROUGH SUBSTANCE
ABUSE.
SO, HERE IS WHAT SEEMS LIKE A CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE TO BUYING
EXPENSIVE ALCOHOL, BUT YOU ARE PUTTING YOUR LIFE IN JEOPARDY.
TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT ON THAT, THEY ARE USED TO DRINKING CHEAP
PERFUME AND FACIAL TONER WHEN THEY RUN OUT OF MONEY TO AFFORD
VODKA.
THEY ALREADY DO THAT, WHICH I FIND AMAZING.
THEY GOT THEMSELVES INTO TROUBLE WHEN THEY STARTED TAKING
THE BATH OIL, BECAUSE THAT WAS REALLY POISONOUS, AND
THAT'S WHERE ALL THESE PEOPLE DIED.
BUT THE STUDY THAT ANA WAS REFERRING TO EARLIER, FROM
LANCET, FOUND THAT MEN WHO DRINK THREE OR MORE BOTTLES OF VODKA
PER WEEK WERE TWICE AS LIKELY TO DIE PREMATURELY THAN MEN WHO
DRANK LESS THAN A BOTTLE PER WEEK.
BUT I READ THAT AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT?
THE GUYS WHO ARE DRINKING ABOUT A BOTTLE PER WEEK ARE THE
HEALTHY ONES.
CAN YOU IMAGINE DRINKING ABOUT A BOTTLE OF VODKA PER WEEK?
I CAN'T.
FOR US, IF YOU'RE NOT A DRINKER, YOU'RE LIKE, THAT'S A LOT.
BUT THE OTHER GUYS ARE DRINKING 3 TO 4 BOTTLES A WEEK.
ALONG THE FACIAL TONER AND ALL THAT.
THAT IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL.
AND LOOK, IT HAPPENS HERE TOO.
IN PLACES THAT ARE MORE ISOLATED, COLDER, THERE IS A LOT
TO DO AND YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF POVERTY, YOU NEED SOME ESCAPISM
SO YOU RESORT TO ALCOHOL, OR MAYBE OTHER DRUGS.
THEN IT LEADS TO DIRE CONSEQUENCES.
I DON'T HAVE A CONSTRUCTIVE SOLUTION HERE, BUT I KNOW
DRINKING THREE ñ
FOUR BOTTLES OF VODKA PER WEEK IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.
THE ONE TAKE AWAY I HOPE PEOPLE GET FROM THE STORY IS THAT, THIS
KIND OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AGAIN, HAS TO DO WITH PEOPLE WHO FEEL
DESPERATE; PEOPLE WHO WANT TO ESCAPE, WHICH IS WHY YOU DON'T
GO AFTER THEM BY DEMONIZING THEM AND COMMERCIALIZING THEM.
YOU TRY TO PROVIDE SOME SORT OF HELP, WHETHER IT'S A
TREATMENT PROGRAM OR GOVERNMENTAL PROGRAMS THAT
HELP YOU GET OUT OF POVERTY.
THESE TYPES OF THINGS HAVE A HUGE SOCIETAL IMPACT.
DON'T DEMONIZE THEM, THEY ARE NOT BAD PEOPLE, THEY ARE
JUST DOWN ON THEIR LUCK AND THEY JUST WANT TO ESCAPE.
SOME OF THEM THAT GOT SICK THINKING ANTIFREEZE.
DO YOU KNOW IN WHAT KIND OF A BAD SPOT YOU'VE GOT TO BE
WHERE YOU THINK DRINKING ANTIFREEZE IS A GOOD IDEA?
SO, IT'S NOT SOMEONE THAT YOU NEED TO PUT IN JAIL, OR,
YOU KNOW, YELL AT, IT'S SOMEONE YOU NEED TO HELP.
SELECT THINK ABOUT HOW TO HELP WITH ADDICTION, AND TO
ERADICATE POVERTY SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO RESORT
TO
THINKING ANTIFREEZE.