Good lord: more than half of all deaths of Russians aged 15-54 can be attributed to "excessive alcohol consumption."

The Lancet's publishing a study this weekend that says just that, as well as:

Russia's mortality rate in people aged 15-54 years was more than five times higher for men and three times higher for women than in Western Europe...Alcohol is responsible for about three quarters of the deaths of all Russian men aged 15-54 and about half of all deaths of Russian women of the same age, the data showed.

That is astounding and incredible and not really funny at all. That means the majority of Russians who die in their prime drink themselves to death, one way or another. Thirty thousand Russians die from alcohol poisoning alone, every year. Christ. Hot chocolate, guys. Is good.
[Reuters. Pic: Getty]

Send an email to Hamilton Nolan, the author of this post, at Hamilton@gawker.com.