Number of alcoholics rising in Belarus

Around three hundred thousand people are registered with the Belarus Narcological Service, the chief narcology doctor at the Healthcare Ministry, Uladzimir Maksimcuk told reporters. The number of alcohol-addiction patients rose 4 percent last year. There has also been an increase in the number of teenage alcoholics -- up 5 percent. The number of women with the drinking problem rose over 15 percent.  Almost 6000 of those registered are drug-addicts, while over 500 patients suffer from toxicomania.

Maksimcuk said over 3000 people died last year due to alcohol poisoning. Abouot the same number of people committed suicide when influenced by alcohol. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Analysis, alcohol annual sales amounted to almost 10.5 liters of liquior per capita against slightly over 9 liters in 2005.