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There’s a stereotype of Russia as a nation of vodka-swilling hard drinkers – but is that idea out of date? The Russian health minister told a conference recently that the country’s alcohol consumption there has dropped by 80% in just five years. Can that be true? The ´óÏó´«Ã½ Russian Service’s Georgy Neyaskin has been trying to track down the source of the figures.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton

(image: People stand next to a shelf with strong drinks in a food store in Moscow. Photo credit Andrey Smirnov/Getty Images)