With retailers struggling to find credit and ordinary Russians being forced to change their spending, a vast lake of undrunk vodka is accumulating in distilleries across Russia.
Official statistics indicate a collapse in demand for vodka over the past two months. November inventories of unsold vodka stock have risen to 82 million litres, a 600 per cent increase from 2007, according to the National Alcohol Association.
This is a good thing. It might help cut down the alcohol related mortality that plagues Russia. Alcohol related mortality is a significant contributer to Russia’s demographic problems.
On the other hand, the same economic problems that keep the Russians from drinking are also going to cut down on the number of Russians willing to have children. So I overall Russia’s demographic problems are likely to get worse.