Russia"s government has launched a crusade...

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has approved a national plan that envisions criminal punishment for illegal production and sale of alcohol, restrictions on advertising, and efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle, the government said on its website on Wednesday.

Alcohol consumption in Russia began growing in the 1970s and surged after the Soviet breakup in the 1990s as Russians struggled to adapt to economic change, health experts said. Alcoholism has taken a heavy toll on Russians" health, fueling high levels of mortality, above all among working-age men.

Men in Russia have an average life expectancy of just 60 years, well below that of Western European countries where men have an average life span of 77 years, according to the World Health Organization.

"Alcohol consumption per capita is currently about 18 liters a year," which is double the critical norm set by WHO, the document"s authors wrote, adding that much of the alcohol consumed was either homemade or non-beverage

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