The Soviet Hangover: Alcoholism Threatens Mongolia's

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ULAANBAATAR 000079 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM and EAP/EX BANGKOK FOR USAID RDMA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON SOCI PGOV CASC MG SUBJECT: The Soviet Hangover: Alcoholism Threatens Mongolia's Progress REF: (a) Ulaanbaatar 006 (b) Ulaanbaatar 013 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Alcohol, including fermented mare's milk, has traditionally been part of Mongolian culture. But the economic chaos that followed Russia's hasty withdrawal in the early 1990s resulted in skyrocketing rates of addiction to vodka and other hard spirits. This Russian legacy continues to this day, fanned by rapid social change, economic stress and urbanization. If unchecked, the deleterious knock-on effects of alcoholism -- increased crime, domestic violence, disease and decreased productivity -- could slow Mongolia's economic and social progress. Mongolians consume an average of nine liters of alcohol per year, double the global average and far above that of most other developing nations. Alcohol consumption rates among Mongolia's youth are increasing faster than in China and South Korea. As the economy improves and the Government finds renewed political strength to combat the disease, there is hope that alcoholism will recede somewhat. But stricter enforcement and more effective awareness campaigns are still needed. END SUMMARY. Alcoholism Insidious, Pervasive -------------- ¶2. (U) The recent deaths of 14 Mongolians who unwittingly drank cheap vodka laced with high-content methanol (reftel A,B) sent shockwaves through the country, prompting Mongolians to reexamine the scourge of alcoholism and question the spirit-production industry, which is largely unregulated and corrupt. Like corruption itself, alcoholism in Mongolia is insidious, pervasive and threatens Mongolia's economic and social progress. Synonymous with everyday activities as well as special occasions such as Lunar New Year, alcohol is consumed daily without being associated with any thought of alcoholism. Culturally, it is considered rude to refuse one or two shots of vodka when visiting a Mongolian home, at any time of day. ¶3. (U) Surveys taken over the past decade suggest that 13% of Mongolia's population are heavy drinkers (defined as those who drank 60 g or more of alcohol per day). That is nearly double the average in the U.S. and China (6.9% and 6.7%, respectively). According to the WHO, Mongolians annually consume 9.03 liters of alcohol per adult -- double the global average of 4.5 liters, but lower than in most western developed countries. Austria, for example, consumes 11.9 liters per adult, Germany 11.67, Australia 9.55 and the U.S. 8.9 liters. Ten percent of Mongolia's heaviest drinkers downed two-thirds of all alcohol consumed. ¶4. (U) Production and consumption statistics, however, are hard to pin down, because the production of homemade spirits -- especially "airag," or fermented mare's milk -- goes unreported, and the illicit importation of spirits from Russia and China is rampant. Today there are anywhere from 114 to 200 alcohol producers in Mongolia, only ten or so of which are licensed. The rest often disguise their production numbers to avoid inspection and taxes. Consumption Rising Among Urbanites, Young -------------- ¶5. (U) Indications are that Mongolia's high alcoholism rate is exacerbated by rapid urbanization and rising disposable income. The WHO survey shows that the average number of heavy drinkers in Mongolia's urban areas is nearly triple that in the countryside, and that increases in alcohol consumption have been steeper among housing or apartment dwellers, as opposed to the (generally) poorer residents of outlying ger districts. ¶6. (U) Recent surges in underage drinking are also an urban phenomenon, especially among girls who are beginning to "catch up" with boys in terms of alcohol consumption, at rates much higher than those found in China or South Korea. According to a 2006 Ministry of Health/World Health Organization survey, the highest mean alcohol consumption, for both males and females in Mongolia, was in the 15- ULAANBAATA 00000079 002 OF 003 to 19-year-old age group. The survey found that 70.5% of young people under 21 had imbibed at least once, and that young urban drinkers consumed twice as much alcohol as rural youths. Influencing factors in youth drinking included belonging to families with regular drinkers; having parents with drinking problems; peer pressure; and suffering from psychological problems (e.g., depression) or physical or emotional abuse. Alcoholism Blamed for Rising Crime... -------------- ¶7. (U)_The knock-on effects of alcohol are illustrated by the heightened rates of crime and family violence. Crime in Mongolia has risen steadily over the past five years. "Crimes against Human Life and Health" -- murder, attempted murder and assault, among other offenses -- have jumped 50 percent since 2003. Muggings are up 75 percent over the same period. Police have reported that as much as 80 percent of all crimes, and 58% of all homicides, involved alcohol. Alcohol-related traffic accidents accounted for more than one third of the total. ...Increased Abuse and Abandonment... -------------- ¶8. (U) According to Post's Human Rights Report for 2006, more than 60% of domestic violence cases involved alcohol abuse. According to NGOs, women are increasingly leaving their husbands rather than suffer domestic abuse, thus adding to the number of single-parent families. According to a recent UNICEF report, most of the street children in Ulaanbaatar come from abusive homes or single-parent families. ...And the Spread of STDs -------------- ¶9. (U) Alcohol abuse among young people has been linked to risky sexual behavior and blamed as one of the reasons for Mongolia's high rate of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as for the rise in HIV/AIDS cases, almost all of which reportedly involved transmission through sexual intercourse. Economic Toll -------------- ¶10. (U) In the 2006 MOH/WHO survey, 36% of respondents divulged that drunkenness and hangovers had interfered with their school work or job. Some 18% of respondents had been admitted to a hospital for treatment as a result of their or someone else's alcohol use, and 9% had spend time in a "drunk tank". In 2007, some 130,000 to 140,000 persons received treatment at a recovery center, either voluntarily or as a result of court action. Over 50% of respondents said they spent US$15 on alcohol per month -- 10 to 15 percent of the average monthly wage. Nationwide, it is estimated that alcohol accounts for 3.5% of annual household expenditure. ¶11. (U) The country's improving economy, and a strengthened political will to acknowledge the problem and fight alcoholism, may be helping to turn the tide. The 2003 National Program on Alcohol Abuse Prevention and Control, 2003-2012, and the 2004 Law on Alcohol, banned alcohol use in workplaces, set the legal drinking age at 21, and prohibited the sale of alcohol after midnight, among other steps. Awareness Campaigns Lacking -------------- ¶12. (U) Unfortunately, as is often the case in Mongolia, intentions are good but capacity and enforcement are lacking. Awareness of alcoholism's harmful effects remains low, especially among the young. According to the 2004 survey on student drinking, a majority of respondents (55.9%) said they had rarely or never seen public awareness messages and preventive materials on alcohol abuse. Conversely, advertisements that glamorize drinking are ubiquitous on ULAANBAATA 00000079 003 OF 003 TV and radio, despite a government ban. The paltry fine of US $250, if levied at all against a media outlet, can quickly be reimbursed by wealthy alcohol companies. (On other occasions, fines have been blocked through interference by politicians who own alcohol production and/or distribution companies.) The official drinking age is 21, but this is rarely enforced, and then only by "rent-seeking" police. Slight Improvements Noted -------------- ¶13. (U) On the bright side, community involvement on alcoholism-related issues is growing, and more facilities are appearing for the treatment and rehabilitation of alcoholics. Awareness and treatment options are increasing, and doctors are receiving more training and can make referrals for in-patient alcoholism treatment. The National Toxicology Center, with assistance from the US DOD, has developed a chemical-dependency treatment program with 30 dedicated inpatient beds, as well as an outpatient program. The health component of the recently signed Millennium Challenge Compact provides for efforts to carry out a public awareness campaign aimed at preventing and treating non-communicable diseases, including alcoholism. Minton