Russian Government Tries To Bankrupt Russians

[Asher]

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/744892--russia-doubles-price-of-vodka

Russia doubles price of vodka

MOSCOW–The Russian government has set a minimum price for vodka that more than doubles the cost of the cheapest vodka on the market in an effort to fight rampant alcoholism.

The measure also is aimed at reducing the extraordinary number of deaths caused by drinking in Russia.

The minimum price of 89 rubles ($3) for a half litre of vodka (17 ounces) went into effect Friday, the start of the 12-day New Year's and Orthodox Christmas holiday, when alcohol consumption is at its highest.

President Dmitry Medvedev has publicly decried Russia's drinking problem and its effect on the nation's well being.

A study published last year in The Lancet medical journal said drinking has caused more than half of deaths among Russians aged 15 to 54 since the 1991 Soviet collapse.

Poor Serb.

[VetLegion]

It won't bankrupt them, it will kill them off more efficiently because
homebrew vodka is more dangerous

[Drake Tungsten]

It's time for America to put a stop to this by forcing Russia to open its market to cheap American vodka. Vodka War!

[onodera]

It won't bankrupt them, it will kill them off more efficiently because
homebrew vodka is more dangerous

All the blue-collar jobs will be taken by non-drinking Muslims who will then rebel against their Russian masters.

[KrazyHorse]

It's time for America to put a stop to this by forcing Russia to open its market to cheap American vodka. Vodka War!

Dude, did you read what they were increasing the minimum price to?

3$ per half-liter.

That's 4.50$ for a fifth.

The cheapest I ever see fifths of vodka for is ~8$

[SlowwHand]

Russians get, what, 25 cents an hour? Point being, it's all relative.

[Dinner]

Why set a fixed price when they could just tax the **** out of it?

[SlowwHand]

That's essentially what they've done, Oerdin.

[Dinner]

No it is not. They've set a minimum price and price fixing is retarded.

[Asher]

Why set a fixed price when they could just tax the **** out of it?

God damnit, what the hell?

It's not a fixed price, it's a MINIMUM price. There are already sin taxes everywhere, but to more than double the minimum price of Vodka using a percentage-tax would be insane. The problem isn't the people drinking $300 bottles of Vodka, it's the people buying half-litre bottles for $1.

[KrazyHorse]

A smarter move would be to apply a per-unit excise tax on the alcohol.

[Serb]

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/ar...price-of-vodka



Poor Serb.

Poor troll.

I don't drink vodka at all, moron.

[SlowwHand]

All vodka prices aren't the same here. Yes, there's a likely minimum price here, too, for rot gut crap. I imagine it's the same in Russia.
Do you think Patron tequila is the same price as a low quality? Dang, Oerdin. Think. nm.

[Asher]

Poor troll.

I don't drink vodka at all, moron.

You don't drink Vodka...you speak English...you play American games.

You are no patriot.

[DaShi]

But he is hypersensitive. He's got that Russianness going for him.