Russia plans to raise legal age to buy alcohol

Russia’s health minister yesterday said it was necessary to raise the legal age to buy alcohol to 21 after an increase in drink-related deaths during the coronavirus outbreak.

“Unfortunately, the role of alcohol has begun to rise in the death count during this period,” Mikhail Murashko told parliament.

Lawmakers should pass legislation that would raise the legal age to buy alcohol from 18 to 21, he said. “This could be done already today.”

Over recent years there have been a number of attempts to raise the legal drinking age.

Although he did not provide figures, Murashko said alcohol-related deaths had increased during the pandemic. Compared with women of the same age, men’s mortality was higher from the age of 18.

But despite Russia’s reputation for hard drinking, alcoholism has for years been on the wane.