Alcohol has been a major health concern in Russia, especially for men of working age. Excessive alcohol use has caused many early deaths.[1] Alcoholism in Russia has, according to some authors, acquired a character of a national disaster[2][3] and has the scale of a humanitarian catastrophe.[4] Starting in the early 2000s, Russia has implemented a variety of anti-alcoholism measures, such as banning sales at night, raising taxes, and banning the advertising of alcohol. These policies have resulted in a considerable fall of alcohol consumption volumes to levels comparable with European Union averages.[5]