'Vodka Politics' and Russia's complex relationship with alcohol

From Toronto, co-host Kevin Sylvester talks to author and journalist Oliver Bullough about why so many Russians struggle with alcoholism, and how the ripple effects of over-consumption impact everything from the country's economy to its declining birth rate. 

Bullough, who says he's encountered men who can down four pints of vodka "without breaking a sweat," argues that "the health consequences of that level of vodka consumption dwarfs anything that you can do to yourself with wine and beer."

Understanding Vodka Politics

Sylvester also speaks with Villanova professor Mark Lawrence Schrad about his wide-ranging book, Vodka Politics, which puts the present state of affairs in historical context. Schrad says Russian government policy has actually fuelled vodka consumption as a means of tax revenue and social control.

As "impolite" as the topic may be, the author says it's important to get a feel for the scope of the issue without demonizing the people affected. 

"To say Russians are drop-dead drunks is blaming the victim," he says. "You have to blame the system that produced that particular outcome."