Beating the tax man in Russia can be deadly.

[formercia]

Mr. Putin has tried to combat the excessive drinking among Russians by raising excise taxes, thus making legitimate drink beyond the reach of many. Failing to address the social problems behind addiction by making drugs illegal or taxing them to discourage consumption doesn't work.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6752515.stm

'Aftershave drink' kills Russians

Russian men are risking death by drinking aftershave and cleaning agents, a study has suggested.

UK researchers estimated that half of all deaths in working age men in the country are due to hazardous drinking.

The products, which also include herbal tinctures sold in pharmacies, are widely available, cheap and contain up to 97% alcohol, the Lancet study says.

It was found that they contain very few toxins but are deadly simply because of the extreme alcohol levels.

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